FWS Focus

Overview

Characteristics
Overview

Ione manzanita is the dominant and characteristic species of Ione chaparral, where it occurs in pure stands. It is an evergreen shrub and can be distinguished from other species of manzanita by its smaller stature and the color of its leaves. It was listed as threatened on May 26, 1999.

Ione manzanita is restricted to the Ione Formation in Amador and Calaveras counties, along an approximate 19.5 mile (31.4 kilometer) stretch, with the main population occurring in in western Amador County around the City of Ione. Ione manzanita occurs in a patchy distribution throughout all its presumed historical range in Amador County.  

Ione manzanita is rare even within its range, and threats have reduced the size of populations that include: 

  • Mining
  • Road construction
  • Development 
  • Disease

Scientific Name

Arctostaphylos myrtifolia
Common Name
Ione manzanita
FWS Category
Flowering Plants
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Characteristics

Characteristic category

Habitat

Characteristics
Habitat

Grassland

Land on which the natural dominant plant forms are grasses and forbs.

Mountain

A landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill.

Characteristic category

Physical Characteristics

Characteristics
Size & Shape

Ione manzanita appears as a low and spreading shrub that typically reaches a height of less than 3.9 feet (1.2 meters). The shrub’s bark is red, smooth and waxy with narrowly elliptic olive-green leaves 0.2 to 0.6 inch (5 to 15 millimeters) long. The white or pinkish urn-shaped flowers appear from January to February with cylindrical fruit. It is an evergreen shrub and can be distinguished from other species of manzanita by its smaller stature and the color of its leaves.

Characteristic category

Life Cycle

Characteristics
Reproduction

Flowering occurs from mid-January to early March and fruits are fully developed by late spring or early summer. Ione manzanita is an obligate seeder that can be killed by fire and depends entirely on seeds stored in the soil or dispersed to the site for stand regeneration.

Geography

Characteristics
Range

Amador County, California

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Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

11 Items

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Five Year Review

Five Year Review

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Listing

Jul 1, 1975

Jul 1, 1975 Listing
Review of Status of Vascular Plants
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 1

Listing

Nov 28, 1983

Nov 28, 1983 Listing
Supplement to Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; 48 FR 53640-53670
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 2

Listing

Sep 27, 1985

Sep 27, 1985 Listing
Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; Notice of Review; 50 FR 39526-39584
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 3

Listing

Feb 21, 1990

Feb 21, 1990 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; Notice of Review; 55 FR…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 4

Listing

Sep 30, 1993

Sep 30, 1993 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 5

Listing

Feb 28, 1996

Feb 28, 1996 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened S…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 6

Listing

Jun 25, 1997

Jun 25, 1997 Listing (Threatened)
ETWP; Proposed Endangered Status for the Plant Eriogonum Apricum (Ione Buckwheat) and Proposed Threa…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 7

Listing

Sep 19, 1997

Sep 19, 1997 Listing
Review of Plant and Animal Taxa
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 8

Listing

May 26, 1999

May 26, 1999 Listing (Threatened)
ETWP; Determination of Endangered Status for the Plant Eriogonum apricum (inclusive of vars. apricum…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 9

Five Year Review

Mar 5, 2008

Mar 5, 2008 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Yea…
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 10

Five Year Review

May 25, 2011

May 25, 2011 Five Year Review (Completion)
Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 11