Arbutus occidentalis or the Mexican madrone is a small tree species in the heath family, that is endemic to Mexico. It is only known from a few areas in Western Mexico where it grows on rocky slopes. It produces red edible berries that are valuable food to wildlife.
Distribution The plant is found in montane Mexico from Chihuahua to Oaxaca.McVaugh, Rogers & Rosatti, Thomas James. 1978. A new species of Arbutus (Ericaceae) from western Mexico. Contributions from the University of Michigan Herbarium 11(5): 301–304 includes line drawings of Arbutus occidentalis and Arbutus xalapensis on page 303Sørensen, P. D. 1995. Arbutus Linnaeus. Flora Neotropica, Monograph 66: 194–221.García-Mendoza, A. J. & J. A. Meave. 2011. Diversidad Florística de Oaxaca: de Musgos a Angispermas 1–351. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria It is found in pine forests, spreading on cliff summits and steep rocky slopes.Pacific Horticulture magazine: "The Madrones", Spring 1983 issue.
Description Arbutus occidentalis is a low growing shrub, growing in height. In places it forms colonies more than ) wide.
The branches are covered with thin red bark. Leaves are long, by wide. They have teeth along the edges.
The red fruits are about across and fleshy.
Variations Two regional variations of Arbutus occidentalis were formerly distinguished as varieties: Arbutus occidentalis var. occidentalis —almost smooth leaved, located in Central Mexico from Durango to Jalisco in the Sierra Madre Occidental. Arbutus occidentalis var. villosa — leaves copiously covered beneath with wooly, villous hairs, located further south from Michoacan to Oaxaca in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains.
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