Arctostaphylos viridissima (USA)

Arctostaphylos viridissima (Eastw.) McMinn, Man. Calif. Shrubs 419 1939. (Syn: Arctostaphylos andersonii var. viridissima (Eastw.) Jeps.; Arctostaphylos pechoensis var. viridissima Eastw.);
 
 

Arctostaphylos viridissima is a species of manzanita known by the common names whitehair manzanita and McMinn’s manzanita. It is endemic to Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands of California.

Arctostaphylos viridissima is a shrub varying in shape and size. It may be a matted bush one metre (~3 ft) tall to a spreading treelike form over 4 metres (~12 ft) in height.

Its stem and branches are covered in peeling red bark and its smaller twigs are woolly and bear long white bristles. The leaves are oval in shape, fuzzy when new and green and shiny when mature, reaching 3.5 cm.

The inflorescence is a dense cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a fuzzy drupe just over a centimeter wide.

(From Wikipedia on 12.4.14)

  
 

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Arctostaphylos viridissima (Eastw.) McMinn
syn: A. pechoensis W. Dudl. var. viridissima Eastw.
Shrub with white-tomentose often bristly branches, ovate-oblong leaves up to 4 cm long, cordate to auriculate at base, glabrous shining, flowers white to pink.
Photographed from California.

 
 
 
 
 

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