• ABBREVIATION
• SYNONYMS
• NRCS PLANT CODE
• COMMON NAMES
• TAXONOMY
• LIFE FORM
• FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS
• OTHER STATUS
• AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION

ABBREVIATION:

ARCMAN

SYNONYMS:

No entry

NRCS PLANT CODE:

ARMA
ARMAE
ARMAG
ARMAL
ARMAM2
ARMAR
ARMAW

COMMON NAMES:

Mariposa manzanita
common manzanita

TAXONOMY:

The currently accepted scientific name of Mariposa manzanita is Arctostaphylos manzanita Parry (Ericaceae). There are 6 subspecies [17]:

A. manzanita ssp. elegans (Jepson) P. Wells
A. manzanitaa ssp. glaucescens P.Wells
A. manzanita ssp. laevigata (Eastwood) Munz
A. manzanita ssp. manzanita
A. manzanita ssp. roofii (Gankin) Wells 
A. manzanita ssp. wieslanderi Wells.
        
Arctostaphylos manzanita hybridizes with A. truei to produce A. × laxiflora Heller [37].

LIFE FORM:

Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:

No special status

OTHER STATUS:

No entry

AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:

Mary Lou Zimmerman. (1991, May). Arctostaphylos manzanita In: Remainder of Citation

• GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
• ECOSYSTEMS
• STATES
• BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
• KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS
• SAF COVER TYPES
• SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES
• HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:

Mariposa manzanita occurs in central and northern California [4]. It is found from Contra Costa County north to Humboldt, Trinity, and Shasta counties [23]; and from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Shasta County south to Mariposa County [7,23]. Mariposa manzanita may occur in some parts of southern Oregon [1].

ECOSYSTEMS:

FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral-mountain shrub

STATES:

CA   OR

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:

3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains

KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

K010 Ponderosa shrub forest
K029 California mixed evergreen forest
K030 California oakwoods
K033 Chaparral
K034 Montane chaparral

SAF COVER TYPES:

246 California black oak
247 Jeffrey pine
248 Knobcone pine
249 Canyon live oak
250 Blue oak-gray pine

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES:

204 North coastal scrub
209 montane shrubland
210 Blue oak woodland
202 Coast oak woodland

HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:

Mariposa manzanita occurs in chaparral, woodland, and forest communities. It is commonly associated with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), gray pine (P. sabiniana), blue oak (Quercus douglasii), and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) [9,15,25,30]. Holland [18] listed Mariposa manzanita as a community type dominant in montane chaparral.

• IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE
• PALATABILITY
• NUTRITIONAL VALUE
• COVER VALUE
• VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES
• OTHER USES AND VALUES
• MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:

Mariposa manzanita is poor livestock browse but is a valuable food source for wildlife. The fruits are eaten by coyotes, foxes, and various species of birds including blue and sharp-tailed grouse [2,5,35]. The foliage is considered inferior browse for deer, although it is used to some extent on winter ranges. Young seedlings are preferred over mature shrubs [5,28].

PALATABILITY:

The palatability of Mariposa manzanita is rated as poor for cattle, sheep, domestic goats, horses, and mule deer [28].

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Manzanita spp. do not provide high-quality browse [28].

COVER VALUE:

No entry

VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:

Mariposa manzanita has been planted on flood control channels in California [12].

OTHER USES AND VALUES:

Food: The fruits of Mariposa manzanita can be used to make jelly [22].

Medicinal: The leaves of Mariposa manzanita contain arbutin, a glycoside that is broken down to hydroquinone in the urine. This gives manzanita disinfecting qualities that make it useful in the treatment of mild urinary tract infections, bladder gravel, chronic kidney inflammations, and water retention. The leaves also function as a mild vasoconstrictor for the uterus [22].

Wood: The trunks and branches can be used in wood carving and woodworking [22].

Mariposa manzanita and greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) as raw material for processing into products such as torula yeast, furfural, methanol, brewer's yeast, and other assorted sugars and acids. These products were obtained through hydrolysis of various wood components [6].

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Mariposa manzanita can be effectively controlled through the aerial application of herbicides such as 2,4,D; 2,4,5-T; 2,4,DB; and triclopyr ester [13,14,33]. Mariposa manzanita plants can also be killed by heavy chopping or burning [27]. However, controlled burning alone is not an effective method of removing this shrub from a site because the heat from fire stimulates germination of the residual seed stock in the soil [5,13]. For burning to be effective, it needs to be done in conjunction with some other control method, or on a frequent schedule [24]. Continual heavy winter browsing by deer can kill young plants in 4 to 5 years. Winter browsing can also retard plant development and delay seed production [5].

• GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
• RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM
• REGENERATION PROCESSES
• SITE CHARACTERISTICS
• SUCCESSIONAL STATUS
• SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT

GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Mariposa manzanita is an erect native perennial shrub. On favorable sites it can become treelike, attaining heights in excess of 20 feet (6 m) and developing a single short trunk. On most sites, however, it ranges from 6 to 12 feet (2-4 m) tall. Mature limbs are long and crooked with smooth, dark reddish-brown bark, which peels irregularly in thin flakes. The young twigs are pale green with downy hairs. The white or pale pink flowers occur in drooping open clusters. The fruit is a small berrylike drupe, which persists on the shrub year-round. In early summer it is white, but in late summer it turns a deep red. The nutlets are irregularly coalesced or separate. Mariposa manzanita lacks a lignotuber. [7,23,28,30,32,35].

RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM:

Phanerophyte

REGENERATION PROCESSES:

Sexual: Mariposa manzanita reproduces by seed. The seeds have an extremely thick endocarp and will not germinate unless scarified. Seed coat scarification may occur naturally by the high temperatures associated with fire, mechanically by soil disturbances, such as those associated with logging activities, or chemically [3,29]. Mariposa manzanita seeds are produced almost every year; in some years seed production is heavier than in others. Animals are the primary mode of seed dispersal [5].

Vegetative: Mariposa manzanita probably has the ability to regenerate vegetatively by layering, as most species of manzanita have this ability. Mariposa manzanita does not sprout from belowground tissue because it lacks a basal burl [35].

SITE CHARACTERISTICS:

Mariposa manzanita is typically found on dry, well-drained, sunny sites [35]. It occurs on open hillsides and along the margins of oak and conifer woodlands [30].

Soil: Mariposa manzanita is tolerant of a wide variety of soils but typically occurs on those that are dry and well drained. In California, Mariposa manzanita has been found on soils in the Josephine, Hugo, and Sobrante series [9].

Climate: Mariposa manzanita commonly occurs in a Mediterranean climate type characterized by warm, dry summers and rainy winters [27].

Elevation: Mariposa manzanita occurs in the foothills and montane regions of the Sierra Nevada and the northern Coast Ranges of California at elevations ranging from 250 to 6,500 feet (76-1,981 m) [18,23,28]. Specific elevational ranges by location follow:

North Coast Ranges 3,000 to 6,000 feet (914-1829 m)
inner North Coast Ranges 250 to 4,000 feet (76-1219 m)
northern Sierra Nevada 2,000 to 4,000 feet (610-1219 m)
southern Sierra Nevada 3,000 to 6,500 feet (914-1981 m)

SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:

Mariposa manzanita-dominated communities have been variously referred to as climax, pyric climax, and transitional vegetation [16,29].

Mariposa manzanita displays characteristics common to shade intolerant pioneer species. It is often first plant to establish after fire on open sites with residual seed stock in the soil. Emerging seedlings died as a result of competition from herbaceous vegetation at a California location [5].

SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Mariposa manzanita typically flowers from February to April over most of its range [23,28] but blooms as early as Christmas in some locations [7]. The fruits appear in early summer, ripen in the fall, and usually persist year-round [23,28]. Most chaparral species experience the greatest amount of growth in May and June. Growth ceases in mid-July because of high air temperatures and low soil moisture [19].

• FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
• POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Mariposa manzanita establishes from fire-stimulated germination of dormant seeds stored in the soil [5,20,27].

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

• IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT
• DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT
• PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE
• DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE
• FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:

Fire effects vary with season, severity, and intensity of burn and range from partial destruction to complete destruction of the aboveground crown. Residual seeds may be scarified and germinate, or they may be killed [13,27]. The seeds can survive soil temperatures in excess of 280 degrees Fahrenheit (138 ^oC) and still germinate [27].

DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT:

No entry

PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:

Fire stimulates Mariposa manzanita seeds stored in the soil to germinate [5,13,27]. These seeds germinate during postfire year 1, but it may be 10 or more years before seedlings produce seed [5,20].

Biswell [5] reported that Mariposa manzanita seedlings were far more numerous on burned brush plots with no herbaceous cover than on any other plots.

DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE:

No entry

FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Frequent burning of Parry manzanita would prevent seedlings from maturing and reaching seed-bearing age and would gradually reduce the available residual seed stock in the soil. Repeated burning until no seeds remained in the soil would eradicate the shrub from a site [5].

Heavy ash accumulations in the soil resulting from fire may be toxic. This ash may be detrimental to both seed germination and seedling establishment [27].

Arctostaphylos manzanita: References

1. Anderson, E. William; Bedell, Thomas E. 1987. Northwest common-name check list of plants. Special Report 786. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, Agricultural Experiment Station. 45 p. [2950]

2. Barrett, Reginald H. 1983. Food habits of coyotes, Canis latrans, in eastern Tehama County, California. California Fish and Game. 69(3): 184-186. [13786]

3. Berg, Arthur R. 1974. Arctostaphylos Adans. manzanita. In: Schopmeyer, C. S., technical coordinator. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 228-231. [7428]

4. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]

5. Biswell, H. H.; Gilman, J. H. 1961. Brush management in relation to fire and other environmental factors on the Tehama deer winter range. California Fish and Game. 47(4): 357-389. [6275]

6. Brink, D. L.; Merriman, M. M.; Gullekson, E. E. 1987. Ethanol fuel, organic chemicals, single-cell proteins: a new forest products industry. In: Plumb, Timothy R.; Pillsbury, Norman H., technical coordinators. Proceedings of the symposium on multiple-use management of California's hardwood resources; 1986 November 12-14; San Luis Obispo, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-100. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station: 237-243. [5379]

7. Eastwood, Alice. 1934. A revision of Arctostaphylos with key and descriptions. Leaflets of Western Botany. 1(11): 105-127. [12207]

8. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]

9. Gardner, Robert A. 1958. Soil-vegetation associations in the redwood-Douglas-fir zone of California. In: Proceedings, 1st North American forest soils conference; [Date of conference unknown]; East Lansing, MI. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Agricultural Experiment Station: 86-101. [12581]

10. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]

11. Gaston, Kevin J.; Lawton, John H. 1989. Insect herbivores on bracken do not support the core-satellite hypothesis. The American Naturalist. 134(5): 761-777. [6854]

12. Goldner, Bernard H. 1984. Riparian restoration efforts associated with structurally modified flood control channels. In: Warner, Richard E.; Hendrix, Kathleen M., eds. California riparian systems: Ecology, conservation, and productive management: Proceedings of the conference; 1981 September 17-19; Davis, CA. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press: 445-451. [5852]

13. Gratkowski, H. 1961. Brush seedlings after controlled burning of brushlands in southwestern Oregon. Journal of Forestry. 59(12): 885-888. [3392]

14. Gratkowski, H. 1978. Herbicides for shrub and weed control in western Oregon. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-77. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 48 p. [6539]

15. Griffin, James R. 1977. Oak woodland. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Malor, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 383-415. [7217]

16. Hanes, Ted L. 1977. California chaparral. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 417-469. [7216]

17. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]

18. Holland, Robert F. 1986. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of California. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Fish and Game. 156 p. [12756]

19. James, Susanne. 1984. Lignotubers and burls--their structure, function and ecological significance in Mediterranean ecosystems. Botanical Review. 50(3): 225-266. [5590]

20. Keeley, Jon E. 1987. Role of fire in seed germination of woody taxa in California chaparral. Ecology. 68(2): 434-443. [5403]

21. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]

22. Moore, Michael. 1979. Medicinal plants of the Mountain West. Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press. 200 p. [12905]

23. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]

24. Nichols, R.; Adams, T.; Menke, J. 1984. Shrubland management for livestock forage. In: DeVries, Johannes J., ed. Shrublands in California: literature review and research needed for management. Contribution No. 191. Davis, CA: University of California, Water Resources Center: 104-121. [5708]

25. Powers, Robert F. 1990. Pinus sabiniana Dougl. Digger pine. In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators. Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 463-469. [13406]

26. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]

27. Sampson, Arthur W. 1944. Plant succession on burned chaparral lands in northern California. Bull. 65. Berkeley, CA: University of California, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 144 p. [2050]

28. Sampson, Arthur W.; Jespersen, Beryl S. 1963. California range brushlands and browse plants. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Division of Agricultural Sciences, California Agricultural Experiment Station, Extension Service. 162 p. [3240]

29. Skau, C. M.; Meeuwig, R. O.; Townsend, T. W. 1970. Ecology of eastside Sierra chaparral: A literature review. R71. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 14 p. [3798]

30. Smith, Nevin. 1985. Growing the larger manzanitas. Fremontia. 13(3): 26-27. [12208]

31. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 10 p. [20090]

32. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1937. Range plant handbook. Washington, DC. 532 p. [2387]

33. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior; Range Seeding Equipment Committee. 1959. Handbook: Chemical control of range weeds. Washington, DC: [Publisher unknown]. 93 p. [12129]

34. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey. [n.d.]. NP Flora [Data base]. Davis, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey. [23119]

35. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]

36. Wells, Philip V. 1968. New taxa, combinations, and chromosome numbers in Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae). Madrono. 19: 193-210. [12171]

37. Wells, Philip V. 1988. New combinations in Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae): Annotated list of changes in status. Madrono. 35(4): 330-341. [6448]

Related categories for SPECIES: Arctostaphylos manzanita | Parry Manzanita