La Panza manzanita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids La Panza manzanita |
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A. pilosula
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| Arctostaphylos pilosula Jeps. & Wies. ex Jeps.
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The La Panza manzanita (scientific name: Arctostaphylos pilosula) is a special type of manzanita plant. It's also called the Santa Margarita manzanita. This plant is endemic to California, which means it grows naturally only in California and nowhere else in the world! Its common names come from places where it grows, like the La Panza Range and near the town of Santa Margarita.
Where Does the La Panza Manzanita Grow?
This unique plant is found only in San Luis Obispo County in California. You can find it in three main areas:
- The La Panza Range
- The east side of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Atascadero
- The San Luis Range near Pismo Beach
It likes to grow in areas called chaparral and closed-cone pine forests. These are places with tough, woody shrubs and certain types of pine trees. It often grows on shale and sandstone rocks and hillsides. You can find it at elevations from about 30 meters (100 feet) up to 1,250 meters (4,100 feet) high.
What Does the La Panza Manzanita Look Like?
The Arctostaphylos pilosula is an upright and somewhat spiky shrub. It can grow anywhere from 1 to 5 meters (3 to 16 feet) tall.
Its leaves are round or oval-shaped. They feel dull and don't have many hairs. Each leaf can grow up to 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.
The shrub blooms with white flowers that grow in round clusters called inflorescences. These "manzanita" flowers are shaped like cones and hang downwards. Each flower is just under 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) long. The plant usually blooms from December to March.
The fruit of the La Panza manzanita is a reddish-brown drupe. A drupe is a type of fruit with a hard pit inside, like a peach or a cherry. These fruits are about 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) wide and ripen in the summer.
Is the La Panza Manzanita Endangered?
The La Panza manzanita is considered a special plant that needs protection. The California Native Plant Society lists it as a fairly endangered and vulnerable species. This means it's at risk of becoming extinct if we don't protect its habitats.
