144 American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 4 



name, jasciculatum, from the Latin meaning little bundle, refers to this ar- 

 rangement of the leaves. Because of the inflammability of the resinous oil 

 in the foliage, chamise is a serious fire hazard on dry slopes where it commonly 

 forms dense impenetrable thickets. Oil obtained from the herbage is said to 

 have been used by the Indians as a remedy for skin affections. 30 



Occurrence. — SEQUOIA, common, 2,500 to 3,000 feel: along western park boundary; 

 trail to Ash Mountam lookout. 



Pea Family (Leguminosae) 

 Field Guide to the Genera 



Leaves simple, not divided into separate leaflets; flowers red-purple. 



Tall, many-stemmed shrubs or small trees; leaves round, 2 or more inches 



across; flowers somewhat pea-like; pods elongate, flat, smooth 



CERCIS, p. 144. 



Low, intricately branched shrubs; leaves lance-shaped to linear, ]/£ inch or less 

 long; flowers with spreading petal-like sepals; pods globose, soiny 



KRAMERIA, p. 145. 



Leaves divided into few to many leaflets ; flowers various colors. 

 Flowers not pea-like, yellow. 



Leaves once divided into simple leaflets ; low shrubs, not spiny ; flowers 



about 1 inch across CASSIA, p. 146. 



Leaves twice divided into many leaflets ; tall shrubs or small trees, the 

 branches spiny; flowers tiny, packed into dense elongate heads. 



Spines straight, usually paired at leaf bases PROSOPis, p. 146. 



Spines curved and claw-like, usually borne singly ACACiA, p. 146. 



Flower pea-like, pink, blue, or yellow. 



Leaflets 3; flowers yellow; rare in Olympic National Park ....CYTISUS, p. 147. 

 Leaflets more than 3 ; flowers pink or blue to purplish. 



Leaflets pinnately divided; shrubs of the Southwest. 



Tall shrubs or small trees with spiny stems; flowers rose-pink; 



pods 2 to 5 inches long ROBINIA, p. 148. 



Low shrubs, not spiny; flowers purple-blue; pods less than Y2 



inch long DALEA, p. 149. 



Leaflets palmately divided; found mostly on Pacific slope 



LUPINUS, p. 149. 



California Redbud {Cerc:s accident alls Torr.), fig. 80. — Usually a shrub 

 with many stems spreading from the base, or sometimes a small tree 15 feet 

 high with a round bushy crown and short trunk 2 to several inches in diameter; 

 bark thin, smooth; leaves I1/2 to 3^^ inches across, round, heart-shaped at the 

 base; flowers small, pea-like, purplish-red, borne along the stems before the 

 leaves appear; pods flat, li^ to 3 inches long and often % inch wide, becom- 

 ing reddish-brown; seeds flattened, orbicular, somewhat resembling lentils. 

 (Syn. Cercis arizonka Rose.) 



The common name, redbud, is descriptive of the flowering stage when 

 the long leafless stems are covered with dark purplish-red flowers which re- 

 semble the buds of sweet peas. The bushes are conspicuous also in late 



30 Stuhr, E. T., Manual of Pacific Coast Drug Plants, 1 17. 1933. 



