Island manzanita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Island manzanita |
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| unripe fruits | |
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A. insularis
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| Arctostaphylos insularis Greene ex Parry
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The island manzanita (scientific name: Arctostaphylos insularis) is a special kind of plant. It's a type of manzanita, which are shrubs or small trees. This plant only grows in one place: Santa Cruz Island. This island is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. When a plant or animal only lives in one specific place, it's called endemic.
About the Island Manzanita
What it Looks Like
The island manzanita is a large, spreading shrub. It can grow taller than 2 meters (about 6.5 feet). It can also spread out very wide, sometimes more than 5 meters (about 16 feet) across!
This plant has bark that looks waxy and is reddish in color. Its smaller branches sometimes have tiny, stiff hairs. The leaves are shiny green and feel smooth. They are usually oval-shaped and curve slightly outwards. Each leaf can be up to about 4.5 centimeters (about 1.75 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The island manzanita produces many flowers. These flowers grow in tight bunches called inflorescences. Each flower is shaped like a small urn.
After the flowers bloom, the plant grows fruit. The fruit is an orange-brown color. It is a type of drupe, which means it has a hard pit inside, like a peach or a cherry. These fruits can be up to 1.5 centimeters (about 0.6 inches) wide.
Where it Lives
The island manzanita grows in different natural areas on Santa Cruz Island. You can find it in chaparral habitats. Chaparral is a type of shrubland with dense, tough plants.
It also lives in oak woodlands, which are forests with many oak trees. Sometimes, it grows in coastal pine forests too. These are forests near the coast with cone-bearing trees like pines.
