Arctostaphylos viscida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arctostaphylos viscida |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: |
A. viscida
|
| Binomial name | |
| Arctostaphylos viscida Parry
|
|
Arctostaphylos viscida, also known as the whiteleaf manzanita or sticky manzanita, is a type of manzanita plant. It's a special kind of shrub or small tree found in parts of North America.
Where It Grows
The whiteleaf manzanita grows in specific places. You can find it in areas called chaparral, which are like dry shrublands. It also lives in coniferous forests, which are forests with cone-bearing trees like pines. These forests are usually found at higher elevations, like on mountainsides. This plant is naturally found only in the states of California and Oregon in the United States.
What It Looks Like
This plant is usually a treelike shrub, meaning it looks like a small tree with many branches. It can grow quite tall, up to about 5 meters (16 feet). Its stems can be smooth or fuzzy, and they often feel sticky.
The leaves of the whiteleaf manzanita are usually round or oval. Sometimes, they have slightly jagged edges or tiny hairs along their sides. Both the top and bottom of the leaves are typically a dull green color.
When the plant flowers, it produces many clusters of flowers. These flowers are shaped like small urns and can be white or a pale pink color. After the flowers, the plant grows shiny red or greenish-brown fruits. These fruits are called drupes and are about half to one centimeter wide. For the seeds inside these fruits to grow, they often need to experience a forest fire.
How People Used It
Long ago, the Miwok people, who lived in northern California, used the fruits of the whiteleaf manzanita. They would make a drink similar to cider from these fruits.
