Bailey &. Bailey: Woody Plants of National Parks 



177 



within; petals none; fruits oblong, 

 silvery, 1/3 to nearly y^ inch long, 

 dry and mealy. (Syn. Eleagnus 

 argentea Pursh.) This species is 

 commonly found along streams. 



Occurrence. — glacier, occasional, 

 3,100 to 4,500 feet: North Fork Flat- 

 head River road a little south of 

 Kishenehn ranger station; near mouth 

 of Logging Creek; shore of St. Mary 

 Lake near East Glacier campground; 

 along creek at outlet of St. Mary 

 Lake; road from Babb to Many Gla- 

 cier. YELLOWSTONE, rare: near Gar- 

 diner. GRAND TETON : near eastern park 

 boundary along Snake River. 



SiLKTASSEL Family (Garryaceae) 



SiLKTAssEL (Garrya Dougl.) 



Silktassel is so called because 

 of the long silvery-silky tassel-like 

 flower clusters which hang from 

 the axils of the upper leaves. The 

 whole bush usually has a silvery- 

 gray appearance. The plants are 

 sometimes grown as ornamentals because of the evergreen leaves and the 

 showy tassel-like flower clusters. The silktassels have some value as browse 

 for deer, but the herbage is very bitter. For this reason some species have 

 been called quinine bush. A decoction made from the bark, leaves and fruits 

 was used by the early settlers as a tonic or as a fever remedy. 



Fig. 103. Silverberry {Eleagnus 

 commulata) . 



Field Guide to the Species 



Lower surface of leaves not hairy or with few scattered hairs; fruits usually not 



hairy 1 . C. tremonli. 



L'^wer surface of leaves silky-hairy; fruits densely hairy 2. G. flavescem. 



1. Fremont Silktassel {Garrya Fremonti Torr.), fig. 104. — A much 



branched evergreen shrub or small tree 4 to 10 feet high; leaves opposite, 



elliptic to oblong-egg-shaped, about 1 to 2i/2 inches long, smooth and green 



above, paler below; young leaves and flower clusters silky-hairy; male and 



female flowers on separate plants, borne in slender, silky, tassel-like clusters 



hanging singly or in bunches from the leaf axils near the ends of the branches; 



male flower clusters about 4 to 7 inches long; female flower clusters 1^^ to 4 



inches long; fruits dark purple-black berries, about I/4 inch in diameter, usually 



not hairy, the flesh dry. 



Occurrence. — crater lake, rare: Redblanket Creek; near southwestern park boun- 

 dary, 4,500 feet. YOSEMITE, up to 6,500 feel: Snow Creek; near head of Nevada Falls. 



