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G258 Arctostaphylos tomentosa - Arctostaphylos nummularia - Ceanothus verrucosus Maritime Chaparral Group

Type Concept Sentence: This is a maritime chaparral group of mixed shrublands with characteristic species such as Arctostaphylos bakeri, Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos montaraensis, Arctostaphylos nummularia, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos silvicola, Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea, Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Ceanothus griseus, Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus verrucosus, Cneoridium dumosum, Comarostaphylis diversifolia, and Quercus dumosa that occur within the summer coastal fog belt of the California coast.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Woolly-leaf Manzanita - Glossyleaf Manzanita - Barranca Brush Maritime Chaparral Group

Colloquial Name: Californian Maritime Chaparral

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: This shrubland group includes chaparral in patches restricted by edaphic conditions (sands, sandstones, other marine sediments, and stabilized sand dunes) within the summer coastal fog belt in scattered locations in the southern, central and northern California coast. This group is characterized by a combination of locally endemic species of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus, species that primarily reproduce by seed rather than resprouting. Shrubs vary in height (up to 3 m tall) and occur in variable densities. More open patches support herbaceous vegetation, while occurrences of high shrub density have no understory. Characteristic species include Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Arctostaphylos nummularia, Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea, Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos montaraensis, Arctostaphylos bakeri, Arctostaphylos silvicola (and others), Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus griseus, and Ceanothus verrucosus. Southernmost stands (San Diego County) can include Quercus dumosa, Cneoridium dumosum, and Comarostaphylis diversifolia. Other common widespread woody taxa can include Adenostoma fasciculatum, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Salvia mellifera, Frangula californica, Rhamnus crocea, and Quercus agrifolia. Controlled burns sometimes have resulted in poor survivorship of the Arctostaphylos spp., and current theories are that they need long fire-free intervals to develop a viable seedbank that can reproduce following fire. This group often co-occurs with ~Californian Conifer Forest & Woodland Group (G198)$$ and may be replaced in part by Quercus agrifolia woodlands and other members of ~Californian Broadleaf Forest & Woodland Group (G195)$$.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This group is characterized by a combination of locally endemic species of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus. Characteristic species include Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Arctostaphylos nummularia, Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea, Arctostaphylos canescens, Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos montaraensis (and others), Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus griseus, and Ceanothus verrucosus.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Unique or rare stands of different species of Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus, and other scrub genera comprise this group, few of which have sufficiently broad distributions to represent the group as single diagnostic taxa. Boykin et al. (2005) suggest that a single clade of Arctostaphylos has undergone radiation adapting to these isolated coastal conditions, so in this case a group might be better characterized by a subgenus than a single or few species. However, endemic taxa of Ceanothus studied by Burge et al. (2011) are not phylogenetically clustered suggesting that the origin of endemism has occurred on multiple occasions in the members of Ceanothus endemic to maritime chaparral (Burge et al. 2011).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Dense shrublands 1-2 m tall dominated by evergreen sclerophyllous shrub, with little in the way of undergrowth.

Floristics: This group is characterized by a combination of locally endemic species of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus, species that primarily reproduce by seed rather than resprouting. Shrubs vary in height (up to 3 m tall) and occur in variable densities. More open patches support herbaceous vegetation, while occurrences of high shrub density have no understory. Characteristic species include Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Arctostaphylos nummularia (= Arctostaphylos sensitiva), Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea (= Arctostaphylos crustacea), Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos montaraensis (and others), Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus griseus, and Ceanothus verrucosus. Southernmost stands (San Diego County) can include Quercus dumosa (= var. dumosa), Cneoridium dumosum, Xylococcus bicolor, and Comarostaphylis diversifolia. Other common widespread woody taxa can include Adenostoma fasciculatum, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Salvia mellifera, Frangula californica (= Rhamnus californica), Rhamnus crocea, and Quercus agrifolia. Other coastal southern California stands dominated by Malosma laurina and Rhus integrifolia are also considered forms of southern maritime chaparral (Sawyer et al. 2009), but are less tied to oligotrophic soils and have more widespread coastal scrub, drought-deciduous associates, such as Artemisia californica, Encelia californica, Salvia mellifera, and Eriogonum fasciculatum (and others) as common associates.

Dynamics:  These shrublands are characterized by species that primarily reproduce by seed rather than resprouting. Controlled burns have resulted in poor survivorship of the Arctostaphylos spp., and current theories are that they need long fire-free intervals to develop a viable seedbank that can reproduce following fire (Keeley and Davis 2005). Recent studies of many sites that have been fire-free for decades suggest that at least some of the species of Ceanothus may be able to germinate without fire and thus sustain populations for long fire-free intervals.
Environmental Description:  Occurs in patches restricted by nutrient-poor edaphic conditions (sands, sandstones, other marine sediments, and stabilized sand dunes) within the fog belt throughout the central and northern California coast.
Geographic Range: This group occurs within the fog belt from southern California to the Mendocino coast of northern California. It extends north into coastal Oregon in very small patches.

Nations: MX,US

States/Provinces:  CA, MXBCN, OR


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation F038 2.B.1
Division 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division D327 2.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 2.B.1.Na.1 Chamise - Whiteleaf Manzanita - Scrub Oak Chaparral Macrogroup M043 2.B.1.Na.1
Group 2.B.1.Na.1.c Woolly-leaf Manzanita - Glossyleaf Manzanita - Barranca Brush Maritime Chaparral Group G258 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3461 Lemonade Sumac Coastal Bluff Chaparral Alliance A3461 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3856 Laurel Sumac - Lemonade Sumac Chaparral Alliance A3856 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3857 Wartleaf Ceanothus - Barranca Brush Post-fire Chaparral Alliance A3857 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3858 Brittleleaf Manzanita - Woolly-leaf Manzanita Central Coast & Island Chaparral Alliance A3858 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3859 Glossyleaf Manzanita - Stanford''s Manzanita - Giant Chinquapin North Coast Chaparral Alliance A3859 2.B.1.Na.1.c
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Ceanothus Mixed Chaparral (208) (Shiflet 1994)
>< Chamise Chaparral (206) (Shiflet 1994)
Concept Author(s): T.N. Shiflet (1994)

Author of Description: G. Kittel and T. Keeler-Wolf

Acknowledgements: T. Keeler-Wolf

Version Date: 09-06-13
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  • Barbour, M. G., and J. Major, editors. 1988. Terrestrial vegetation of California: New expanded edition. California Native Plant Society, Special Publication 9, Sacramento. 1030 pp.
  • Barbour, M. G., and W. D. Billings, editors. 2000. North American terrestrial vegetation. Second edition. Cambridge University Press, New York. 434 pp.
  • Boykin, L. M., M. C. Vasey, V. T. Parker, and R. Patterson. 2005. Two lineages of Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae) identified using the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear genome. Madrono 52(3):139-147.
  • Burge, D. O., D. M. Erwin, M. B. Islam, J. Kellermann, S. W. Kembel, D. H. Wilken, and P. S. Manos. 2011. Diversification of Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) in the California Floristic Province. International Journal of Plant Sciences 172(9):1137-1164.
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  • Holland, V. L., and D. J. Keil. 1995. California vegetation. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, IA. 516 pp.
  • Keeley, J. E., and F. W. Davis. 2007. Chaparral. Pages 339-366 in: M. G. Barbour, T. Keeler-Wolf, and A. A. Schoenherr, editors. Terrestrial vegetation of California, third edition. University of California Press, Berkeley. 712 pp.
  • Rodriguez, D., K. G. Sikes, T. Keeler-Wolf, G. Kittel, J. Curtis, C. Curley, and J. Evens. 2017. Vegetation classification of Channel Islands National Park. Report to the National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
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