192 American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 4 



covering wide areas. Branches forced to the ground by heavy snows may 

 sometimes take root, forming large dense clumps. The ability of the plants 

 to send up new shoots from the enlarged root-crown and thus to withstand 

 repeated burnings may account partly for its abundance. Except for fre- 

 quent fires, this species would easily become shaded out in many localities, 

 especially by white fir. The young tender shoots and leaves are browsed 

 to some extent by deer. 



Occurrence. — CRATER LAKE, abundant in the ponderosa pine forests, -1,700 to 7,200 

 feet. LASSEN, common: Hot Springs Valley. YOSEMITE, abundant. 4,000 to 9,500 feet: 

 western boundary of park near Eleanor Lake; near Aspen Valley; Big Oak Flat 

 control road; Crane Creek, north of El Portal; \osemite Valley; Merced Lake trail; 

 Rainbow View; Glacier Point; near Wawona; Mariposa Grove. KINGS CANYON, up 

 to 10,000 feet: near Sphinx Creek; between Junction and Charlotte Meadows; near 

 East Lake. SEQUOIA, abundant, 2,200 to 9,000 feet: Kern Canyon near Junction 

 Meadow; Bearpaw Mouniain; Redwood Meadow ranger station; west of Little Baldy; 

 south of Tar Gap on Hockett-Mineral King trail. BRYCE CANYON, common, 7,000 to 

 8,500 feet: near Bryce Lodge; Bryce Point; along the Rim Drive; Rainbow Point. 

 ZION, common, especially on the plateau, 4,500 to 6,000 feet: Zion-Mount Carmel 

 Highway near tunnel; Horse Pasture Plateau; West Rim trail near Angels Landing. 

 GRAND CANYON, on the North Rim, 8,000 to 8,800 feet: Walhalla Plateau along road 

 to Cape Royal ; road to Point Imperial. 



5. PoiNTLEAF Manzanita (Arctostdphylos pungens H. B. K.). — 

 Spreading shrub, 2 to 8 (or 10) feet high; the younger branches usually 

 whitish with a fine close fuzz; leaves narrowly oblong to elliptic, pointed at 

 the tip, % to 1^4 inches long, thick and leathery, dull green or grayish above 

 and below; flowers white, urn-shaped, borne in clusters towards the ends of the 

 branches; berries roundish, smooth and shining, dark brown or brick color; 

 nutlets ridged on the back, separate. 



This and greenleaf manzanita are the most common species of manzanita 



in the Southwest, the point! eaf manzanita usually ranging at lower elevations 



than the greenleaf manzanita. The chief distinction between the two is in 



the leaves which are paler, narrower, and more pointed in the former species 



than in the latter. Also the very young fiower clusters which appear late in 



the summer of the year preceding the blooming season are shorter and stouter 



in pointleaf manzanita. Those of greenleaf manzanita are rather slender. 



Under favorable conditions branches lying along the ground may take root. 



Occurrence. — ZiON, in the canyons, 4,000 to 5,000 feet: trail to Emerald Pools. 

 GRAND CANYON, 4.200 to 8,250 feet. North Rim, at edge of rim: Bright Angel Point; 

 McKinnon Point; Uncle Jim Point; Swamp Point. South Rim, rare: Yj, mile east of 

 Yavapai Point. Canyon, north of the Colorado River: Kaibab Trail above Cottonwood 

 Camp; above Roaring Springs. 



6. Indian Manzanita (Arctostaphylos mewukka Merr.). — Shrub 3 to 

 6 feet high; leaves pale green or whitish, elliptic to oblong, mostly pointed at 

 the tips, 1 to 2 or 2i/2 inches long, smooth; flowers white, borne in loose, 

 erect or somewhat drooping clusters; berries smooth, round, dull white or 

 brownish, 1/3 to ^2 or sometimes 2/3 inch in diameter; nutlets 4 or 5, some- 

 times united into a single stone. (Syn. A. pastillosa Jepson.) 



Occurrence. — YOSEMITE: lower Merced Valley; Hatch Hetchy Valley; western 



