Arbutus arizonica explained

Arbutus arizonica, commonly known as Arizona madrone, is a tree species in the heath family that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends along the Sierra Madre Occidental cordillera from the Madrean Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico^[1] south as far as Jalisco. It has been found in Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, and Sinaloa, with one isolated population in Tamaulipas.^{[2] [3]}

Arbutus arizonica is a tree that grows up to 45feet, and has pinkish-brown bark. The fruit is an orange-red berry.^[4] The fruits are edible by humans and used by some indigenous peoples.^[5]

External links

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas
• photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Arizona in 1881

Notes and References

1. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Arbutus%20arizonica.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
2. Book: Little Jr., Elbert L.. Atlas of United States Trees. 3 (Minor Western Hardwoods). 1976. US Government Printing Office. 79-653298. 4053799. Map 18, Arbutus arizonica. https://archive.org/details/atlasofunitedsta1314litt/page/n56/mode/1up.
3. http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=1029 SEINet, Southwestern Biodiversity, Arizona chapter
4. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250092308 Flora of North America, Arbutus arizonica (A. Gray) Sargent, 1891. Arizona madrone
5. Laferrière, Joseph E., Charles W. Weber and Edwin A. Kohlhepp. 1991a. Use and nutritional composition of some traditional Mountain Pima plant foods. Journal of Ethnobiology 11(1):93-114.