About Arctostaphylos osoensis P.V.Wells
Arctostaphylos osoensis P.V.Wells is a spreading shrub that reaches at least 1 meter in height, and can grow over 4 meters tall. It has grayish, shreddy bark. Its foliage is dense, made up of shiny, pointed leaves with smooth or toothed edges; the leaves range from green to reddish, and each grows up to 3 centimeters long. Its inflorescence is a loose cluster of the characteristic urn-shaped manzanita flowers, each flower about 6 millimeters long. The fruit is a hairless drupe between 0.5 and 1 centimeter wide, which holds several rounded seeds.
This species grows adjacent to Arctostaphylos morroensis to its south, and the two can be distinguished by leaf structure: Arctostaphylos osoensis has heart-shaped leaves that clasp the stem, while Arctostaphylos morroensis has more typical leaves attached to the branch by a small petiole. While not a definitive identifying trait, Arctostaphylos osoensis also tends to grow shorter than the larger Arctostaphylos morroensis.
