156 



American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 4 



Patriarchs; Emerald Pools. GRAND CANYON, occasional along streams in the canyon, 

 3,000 to 4,000 feet: along Bright Angel Creek about 2 miles above Phantom Ranch; 

 on the Tonfo. isle royale, occasional: Lake Richie; trail to Forbes Lake; Mount 

 !■ rankim trail; near Sargent Lake; South of McCargo Cove. 



3. Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina L.). — Similar to smooth sumac 

 except generally larger, sometimes a small tree up to 20 or 30 feet high; 

 branches velvety; leaflets 11 to 31, dark green above; pale below; flower clusters 

 and fruits densely velvety-hairy. 



Occurrence. — iSLE ROYALE, occasional : Greenstone Ridge. 



Staff-tree Family (Celastraceae) 

 Field Guide to the Genera 



Petals 5, white, soon falling; branches spine-tipped; plants deciduous; found only in 



Grand Canyon National Park FORSELLESIA, p. 156. 



Petals 4, greenish or reddish; branches not spine-tipped; plant evergreen; found in 



all except California parks PACHISTIMA, p. 156. 



Spiny Greasebush (Forsellesia sp'mescens (Gray) Greene). — Much- 

 branched shrub 1 to 4 feet high with slender, green, spine-tipped branches; 

 leaves small, 1/3 inch long or less, oblong, pointed at the tip and tapering to 

 the base; flowers small, borne singly on slender stems in the leaf-axils; petals 

 5, white, narrow, soon falling; fruits tiny pods, splitting down one side to re- 

 lease 1 to 2 shiny brown seeds. (Syn. Glossopetalon spinescens Gray.) 



Occurrence. — grand canyon, common in the canyon on both sides of the Colorado 

 River, 4,500 to 6,500 feet: Berry trail, Yi mile down; Bright Angel trail about I J/2 

 miles above Indian Gardens; Cedar Ridge near fossil fern quarry; Kaibab Tiail above 

 Roaring Springs junction. 



Myrtle Pachistima, Moun- 

 tain Lover {Pachistima myrsinites 

 (Pursh) Raf.), fig. 89.— Low, dense- 

 ly branched evergreen shrub, i^ to 3 

 feet high, the leaves opposite each 

 other on the stems; leaves small, 

 thickish, ^4 to 1/4 inches long, ellip- 

 tic to oblong, the margins finely 

 toothed, tapering to the base; flowers 

 tiny, 1 to 3 on short stalks in the 

 leaf -axils; petals 4, brick-red or 

 greenish; fruits oblong pods, about 

 I/4 inch long, 1- or 2-seeded. 



This is a common undercover 

 shrub in moist open woods in many 

 of the western parks. The plant is 

 sometimes called boxleaf or boxwood 

 because of its resemblance to the cul- 

 tivated "box" which is used for 

 hedges. The foliage is browsed to 



Fig. 89. Myrtle pachistima (Pachislima 

 m'^rsinites) . 



