Shrubs, erect, 1-5 m; burl absent; twigs densely short glandular-hairy. Leaves: petiole 5-10 mm; blade gray-glaucous, dull, elliptic, ovate, or ± orbiculate, 2-5 × 1-4 cm, base rounded, truncate, or ± lobed, margins entire, plane, surfaces papillate, scabrous, finely glandular-hairy. Inflorescences racemes, simple or 1-branched; immature inflorescence (developing late), pendent or erect, (concealed by bracts), axis 1-1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., densely short glandular-hairy; bracts deciduous after flowering, (crowded), appressed, (bright pink), leaflike, lanceolate, 6-10 mm, apex acute, surfaces densely glandular-hairy. Pedicels 5-15 mm, finely glandular-hairy. Flowers: corolla white to pink, conic to urceolate; ovary glandular-hairy. Fruits globose, 6-12 mm diam., finely glandular-hairy, (viscid). Stones distinct or connate.

PLANT: Shrub, 0.2-0.5 m tall; bark reddish brown, smooth; branchlets densely glandular hairy.

LEAVES: lance-elliptic to ovate; 2-5 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, gray green, glaucous to finely glandular; bases rounded to truncate; tips obtuse to acute; margins entire; petioles 5-10 mm long, glandular hairy (Fig. 3).

INFLORESCENCE: simple or one-branched racemes, densely glandular hairy; bracts 6-10 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate, pink (Fig. 4A).

FLOWERS: 6-9 mm long, finely glandular hairy; sepals narrowly lanceolate, glandular hairy; corollas pink to white, urceolate; pedicels 5-10 mm long, glandular-pubescent; ovaries glandular hairy.

FRUITS: ovoid to globose, 6-10 mm wide, red (Fig. 2B). 2n = 26.

NOTES: Dry, rocky hills with interior chaparral and pinyon-juniper and cypress woodlands: all cos. except Apache, La Paz, and Yuma (Fig. 1B); 1200-2000 m (4000-6600 ft.); Apr-May; s CA, n Baja C. to s NV, sw UT.

REFERENCES: John L. Anderson , 2008, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Ericaceae. CANOTIA 4 (2): 21-30.

Common Name: Pringle manzanita

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Tree

General: Shrub 0.5-2 m tall, with dark reddish brown, smooth bark, branchlets densely glandular hairy.

Leaves: Lance-elliptic to ovate, 2-5 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, gray green, glaucous to finely glandular, rounded to truncate bases, tips acute to obtuse, margins entire, petioles 5-10 mm long, glandular hairy.

Flowers: Finely glandular hairy, 6-9 mm long, sepals narrowly lanceolate; corollas pink to white, urceolate, pedicels 5-10 mm long, glandular-pubescent, ovaries glandular hairy.

Fruits: Ovoid to globose berry, 6-10 mm wide, red.

Ecology: Found on dry, rocky hills from 4,000-6,500 ft (1219-1981 m); flowers April-May.

Notes: Told apart from the similar A. pungens by the sharp leaf point on the latter.

Ethnobotany: Berries eaten raw, cooked, made into mush, jelly, and a beverage.

Etymology: Arctostaphylos is from Greek arktos, bear and staphule, a bunch of grapes, while pringlei is named for Cyrus Guernsey Pringle (1838-1911), who studied under Asa Gray.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010