254 



American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 4 



heacls forming more or less flat-topped clusters at the ends of the branches. 



This is a shrub of the Southwest, occurring typically around springs, along 

 streams, or on alluvial plains, where it is found growing in clumps or forming 

 extensive thickets. The leaves resemble willow leaves but with a rather sticky- 

 glutinous upper surface. The foliage is poor or worthless as forage but the 

 deep and wide-spreading roots make the species useful as a soil binder on the 

 sandy washes in the Southwest. The Indians sharpened the pithy stems and 

 used them as brushes for decorating pottery. 50 



Occurrence.- — ZION, 3,600 to 4,500 feet: Coalpits Wash near south entrance road; 

 along river in front of Zion Lodge. GRAND CANYON, common along streams in the 

 canyon, 2,500 to 3,500 feet: Bright Angel trail along Pipe Creek; Havasu Canyon; 

 Phantom Ranch; Bright Angel Creek for several miles above Phantom Ranch. 



2. Emory Baccharis, 

 Water Willow (Baccharis 

 Emoryi Gray) . — Erect shrub 

 5 to 12 feet high with slender 

 branches, or sometimes almost 

 tree-like; upper leaves mostly 

 linear or oblong; lower leaves 

 elliptic to oblong, 1 to ly2 

 inches long, 3 -nerved from the 

 base, the margins irregularly 

 few-toothed; flowers white, in 

 small tight heads; heads borne 

 in large oblong leafy clusters 

 at the ends of the branches, 

 the staminate (male) and pis- 

 tillate (female) on separate 

 plants; seed-like achenes small, 

 tipped with numerous silky 

 white hairs and packed to- 

 gether into slender brush-like 

 heads about 1/2 ifich long. 



This shrub favors moist 

 situations but may be found 

 also in dry gravelly or clay 

 soils. It is generally not con- 

 sidered a good browse plant 

 but animals eat the herbage 

 sparingly. 



Occurrence. — ziON, present at 

 low elevations along streams: Coal- 

 pits Wash, 3,600 feet. GRAND 

 CANYON, common along streams in 



Fig. 146. Mohave aster {Aster ahaius). 



50 Range Plant Handbook. B 

 33: United States Department of 

 Agriculture, Forest Service. 1937. 



