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. mewukka Merriam

Shrub 1–4 m; burl present or 0
Stem: twigs glabrous or puberulent
Leaves erect; petiole 6–15 mm; blade 3–7 cm, 2–7 cm wide, ± round, round-, oblong-, or lanceolate-ovate, base ± rounded, margin entire, surfaces alike, glabrous, subglaucous or white-glaucous, dull, smooth
Inflorescence open; branches 2–7; axis, bract hairs like twig hairs or ± glandular; bracts 3–6 mm, generally scale-like, deltate to linear-lanceolate, ± keeled, acute or acuminate; lowest bract 8–12 mm, leaf-like, lanceolate; pedicel 4–8 mm, glabrous; immature axes 2–3 cm, stout, spreading
Flower: ovary glabrous
Fruit 10–16 mm wide, ± spheric, glabrous, dark mahogany-brown
Chromosomes: n=26
Ecology: Uncommon. Chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: 500–1800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada.

Native

subsp. mewukka

Shrub 1–2 m; burl present
Stems ± spreading
Leaf: petiole 6–10 mm; blade 2–4 cm wide, oblong- to lanceolate-ovate, ± acute, gray-glaucous
Inflorescence: immature axes 3–5, bracts spreading, exposing buds, ± flat, tip acute
Chromosomes: n=26
Ecology: Chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: 800–1800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada
Horticultural information: TRY.