A San Francisco plant once thought extinct is still hanging on
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - 00:00
in Biology & Nature
The Franciscan manzanita occupies a patch of hillside in the Presidio. Secrecy and a nursery rich with seeds and cuttings are part of the plan to reintroduce it to the wild. Some worry that federal park rules are not enough to protect the species.The Franciscan manzanita — described by some as San Francisco's unicorn — thrives in a kind of botanical witness protection program.