Arctostaphylos franciscana, known by the common name Franciscan manzanita, is a species of manzanita. It was named by Alice Eastwood and is native to the city of San Francisco.[2]
Franciscan manzanita was formerly considered as a subspecies of Hooker's manzanita until elevated to full species rank following modern genetic analysis and comparisons.[3]
When the Laurel Hill Cemetery in San Francisco was bulldozed in 1947, it was thought that the Arctostaphylos franciscana went extinct.[4][5] In 2009, one wild specimen of the shrub was discovered in the Presidio by a local conservationist.[6][7] Less than a month later, Caltrans transplanted this specimen to make way for the Doyle Drive Replacement Project.[8]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Franciscan manzanita as an endangered species on October 5, 2012.[9][10][11] The National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy are attempting to cross-pollinate and propagate the preserved specimen in order to reintroduce the subspecies in the wild.[12][13]
Arctostaphylos franciscana, known by the common name Franciscan manzanita, is a species of manzanita. It was named by Alice Eastwood and is native to the city of San Francisco.
