ERICACEAE

HEATH FAMILY

Gary D. Wallace, except as specified

Perennial, shrub, tree
Stem: bark often peeling distinctively
Leaves simple, generally cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, evergreen or deciduous, often leathery, petioled or not; stipules 0
Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, cyme, or flowers solitary, generally bracted; pedicels often with 2 bractlets
Flower generally bisexual, generally radial; sepals generally 4–5, generally free; petals generally 4–5, free or fused; stamens 8–10, free, filaments rarely appendaged, anthers awned or not, dehiscent by pores or slits; nectary generally at ovary base, disk-like; ovary superior or inferior, chambers generally 1–5, placentas axile or parietal, ovules 1–many per chamber, style 1, stigma head- to funnel-like or lobed
Fruit: capsule, drupe, berry
Seeds generally many, sometimes winged
Genera in family: ± 100 genera, 3000 species: generally worldwide except deserts; some cultivated, especially Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Rhododendron, Vaccinium
Reference: [Wallace 1975 Wasmann J Biol 33:1–88; 1975 Bot Not 128:286–298]
Subfamilies Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Vaccinioideae sometimes treated as families. Nongreen plants obtain nutrition from green plants through fungal intermediates.

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS

MANZANITA

Philip V. Wells

Shrubs, small trees
Stem prostrate to erect; fire-resistant burl sometimes present at base; bark generally reddish, smooth or gray, rough, and shredded; hairs generally alike on twig, inflorescence axis, bract
Leaves alternate, spreading to ascending, evergreen; blade surfaces generally alike, sometimes convex, differing in color (stomata restricted to lower surface) or hairiness; margin flat to rolled
Inflorescence: raceme or panicle-like, terminal; branches raceme-like; flowers bracted; bracts leaf-like, generally flat or scale-like, generally folded, keeled; immature inflorescence present late summer through winter
Flower radial; sepals generally 5, free, persistent; corolla generally 5-lobed, urn-shaped to ± spheric, white to pink; stamens generally 10, included, filament base glabrous or hairy, anther 2-pored, awns 2, recurved; ovary superior, base surrounded by nectary disk, chambers 2–10, ovule 1 per chamber, style 1, stigma head-like
Fruit: drupe, berry-like, generally ± spheric; pulp generally thick, mealy; stones 2–10, free, separable, or strongly fused
Species in genus: ± 60 species: North America (especially CA) to C.Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: bear berries)
Reference: [Wells 1988 Madroño 35:330–341]
Observation of hairs requires 10X magnification. Distribution of many species local; hybridization occurs in areas of overlap
Horticultural information: Beautiful but mostly DFCLT due to fungus and often salinity and alkali. Avoid overhead watering in hot weather. CVS are the easier garden subjects.

Native

A. tomentosa (Pursh) Lindl.

Shrub 1–2.5 m; burl present, often wide, ± flat-topped
Stems erect; bark smooth, reddish, or sometimes rough, gray; twigs generally tomentose, sometimes glandular or long-bristly
Leaves ± spreading; petiole 2–5 mm; blade 2–5 cm, 1.5–2.5 cm wide, oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, base truncate to ± lobed, margin entire, sometimes toothed, cupped or ± rolled, blade surfaces not alike, upper convex, dark to bright green, ± shiny, lower ± tomentose, sometimes finely glandular-bristly, papillate, scabrous or ± glabrous
Inflorescence: branches 2–8, crowded; bracts 8–15 mm, leaf-like, lanceolate; pedicel 2–5 mm, finely tomentose, sometimes finely glandular-bristly or glabrous; immature axes 10–25 mm, ± crowded
Flower: ovary generally densely white-tomentose, sometimes glandular or glabrous
Fruit 6–10 mm wide, ± hairy
Chromosomes: n=26
Ecology: Rocky or sandy soils, slopes, chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: < 1100 m.
Bioregional distribution: Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, n Channel Islands, Western Transverse Ranges.

Native

subsp. tomentosa

Stem: bark gray, rough, persistent as flat shreds; twigs tomentose
Leaf: lower blade surface tomentose to finely so, smooth
Flower: pedicel, ovary tomentose
Chromosomes: n=26
Ecology: Uncommon. Sandy soils, chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: c&s Central Coast (Monterey, San Luis Obispo cos.).