Brittle Leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos crustacea ssp. crustacea) is a native shrub in the Ericaceae (Heath) family. It is one of six recognized subspecies of Arctostaphylos crustacea. This subspecies is endemic to California where it is a resident of chaparral canyons, foothills and lower elevation mountains fairly close to the coast in central California, primarily between the San Francisco Bay area and Santa Barbara County, including some of the Channel Islands. This is a low-lying, spreading Manzanita, generally quite a bit wider than it is tall. The stems may be red or gray or both, with smooth, rough, or shreddy bark, hairless to quite bristly. The leaves may be oval to lance-shaped and sometimes toothed, but the upper surface is generally darker and shinier than the lower. The flowers are white to pink and may be hairy or hairless inside. The fruits are fuzzy reddish drupes under a centimeter in diameter.