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Arctostaphylos obispoensis

Eastw.

Serpentine Manzanita

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133930
Element CodePDERI040X0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusArctostaphylos
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Excel v3.2x
Review Date2024-09-11
Change Date2024-09-11
Edition Date2017-10-16
Edition AuthorsOliver, L., rev. R. Bittman (2014, 2017)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Arctostaphylos obispoensis is endemic to close-cone coniferous, chaparral, and cismontane woodlands on serpentine and rocky soils of the southern Santa Lucia Mountains of California in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. This species is geographically restricted, but is locally common on serpentine soils along the Santa Lucia Range. The California Native Plant Society considers A. obispoensis to occur in sufficient numbers and it is widely distributed enough that the potential for extinction is low.
Range Extent Comments
Arctostaphylos obispoensis is endemic to the southern Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties of California in the western United States (FNA 2009). Range extent was estimated to be 4,170 square kilometers.
Occurrences Comments
The number of occurrences was estimated to be 81 to 300.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Arctostaphylos obispoensis occurs in closed-cone coniferous forest, in chaparral, and in cismontane woodland on serpentine or rocky soils (CNPS 2024, FNA 2009).

Reproduction

Unlike other species of manzanita, Arctostaphylos obispoensis does not have an underground burl or root crown and survives wildfire by producing a prodigious amount of seed (Walters 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
References (6)
  1. California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 2001. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (sixth edition). Rare Plant Scientific Advisory Committee, David P. Tibor, Convening Editor. California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. x + 388pp.
  2. California Native Plant Society (CNPS), Rare Plant Program. 2024. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California, online edition, v9.5. Online. Available: https://www.rareplants.cnps.org (accessed 2024).
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  4. Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Walters, D. 2023. Bishop manzanita: <i>Arctostaphylos obispoensis.</i> Obispoensis, Newsletter of the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, San Luis Obispo, CA. 9 pp.