January General Membership Meeting – Manzanitas x 2

There’s still a lot to learn about our local manzanitas. At our January 4, 2024 general membership meeting, our speaker will be Bill Waycott on Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos) – Gifts that Keep on Giving. In addition, before the meeting, we will have a mini-keying workshop on manzanitas from 6 to 7 pm.

The California Floristic Province (CFP) is the center of diversification for the genus Arctostaphylos. Out 107 taxa, only a single subspecies in Guatemala has a restricted distribution outside of the CFP. Most manzanitas occur in specialized micro-habitats presenting adaptations to nutrient-poor soil types, diverse micro-climates, and differing elevations. The great majority of local endemics occur along the California coast, typically within or adjacent to the summer marine fog zone. In several coastal areas, clusters of species and local endemics are found in uplands around urban areas, such as San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and in San Luis Obispo County, especially the Morro Bay and Guadalupe areas. We will discuss manzanita diversity, adaptation, their intriguing genetic components, and why we should all visit them in the wild.

Bill and his wife Diana are owners/operators of Nipomo Native Seeds, where they produce vegetable seeds along with CA native seeds. Bill has a PhD in plant genetics from UC Santa Cruz and has worked most of his career in agriculture. Bill’s involvement in CNPS dates back to his college days, and over the years he has served at SLO Chapter president, and vice-president on the State Board.

The mini-keying workshop before the general meeting will focus on keying manzanitas and will be led by Bill Waycott and Dena Grossenbacher from 6 to 7 pm. Learn the key characteristics to identify manzanita species and practice on manzanita samples collected from the local area. Bring Vascular Plants of San Luis Obispo County, the Field Guide to Manzanitas, a 10x hand lens, a narrow-pointed dissection tool, and a headlamp. Some loaner equipment will be available at workshop. Please arrive a few minutes early so the workshop can start promptly. The room will open at 530 pm.

Manzanita range map from Field Guide to Manzanitas: California, North America, and Mexico by Michael Kauffmann, Tom Parker, and Michael Vasey.