La Purisima manzanita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids La Purisima manzanita |
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A. purissima
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| Arctostaphylos purissima P.V.Wells
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The Arctostaphylos purissima is a special type of manzanita plant. It's also known as the La Purisima manzanita. This plant is a beautiful shrub that grows in specific parts of California.
Where It Lives
This manzanita plant is found only in a small area of western Santa Barbara County, California. This means it's endemic to that region. You can find it in the Santa Ynez Mountains. It also grows near the city of Lompoc. Another spot is around the historic Mission La Purísima Concepción.
The La Purisima manzanita prefers certain types of homes. It grows in areas called Coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. These are places with dry, shrubby plants. It especially likes to grow in soils that come from sandstone rocks.
What It Looks Like
The Arctostaphylos purissima is a shrub, which is like a large bush. It can grow to be at least 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall. Some of these plants can even reach over 4 meters (about 13 feet) in height! They can be low and spread out, or tall and stand straight up.
This manzanita has long, white, stiff hairs, like bristles, covering its stems. It also has many shiny, smooth green leaves. Each leaf is round or oval. The edges of the leaves are smooth, and they can be up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.
When it blooms, the plant produces hanging groups of flowers. These flowers are shaped like small balls or urns. Each flower is about half a centimeter long. After the flowers, the plant grows fruit. The fruit is a smooth, fleshy fruit with a hard pit inside, like a small cherry. It is between half a centimeter and one centimeter wide.
