THE BROAD-SCLEROPHYLL VEGETATION OF CALIFORNIA. 117 



28. Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. Mountain mahogany. Ranging widely over the west- 

 ern States, but not important as a member of the chaparral. Occurs sparingly in the 

 chaparral of the San Bernardino Mountains and other southern California ranges, and in 

 the Sierras, but mainly on the east slope. 



29. Adenostoma fasciculatum H. and A. Chamise; grease-wood (the latter name, 

 though frequent, is unfortunate, as it has been commonly applied to other shrubs, totally 

 unrelated, of the western United States). Range shown in detail on map (plate 3). Its 

 occurrence near Hershey in the Sacramento Valley, and other facts, seem to indicate that 

 it formerly had a more widely extended range (see p. 79). The most abundant species and 

 most important in every way of the shrubs of the climax chaparral. Usually in pure 

 growth or nearly so over extensive areas, occupying the less mesophytic situations, which 

 greatly predominate in the chaparral region. Pure growth is commonly known as "cha- 

 misal." Easily recognized at a distance, when growing in mass, by its characteristic 

 color-tone, which varies according to the time of year. Its general shade is gray-green, 

 but in June this is whitened by the profusion of spiraea-like flower panicles, and through 

 the remainder of the summer and autumn turned to rich brown by the equally abundant 

 clusters of withered flowers and achenes. 



30. Adenostoma sparsifolium Torr. Yerba del Pasmo. San Jacinto and Santa Monica 

 Mountains to Lower California; also in Santa Ynez Mountains. An interesting and hand- 

 some species of limited range and abundance; occurs in the same sort of situations as the 

 last. 



31. Prunua demissa (Nutt.) Walp. Western choke cherry. Rocky Mountains to the 

 Pacific States and British Columbia. In California, a widely distributed but unimportant 

 member of the conifer-forest chaparral; commoner in stream-bank thickets. Deciduous. 



32. Prunus emarginata (Dougl.) Walp. Bitter cherry. Range similar to last; not so 

 far eastward, but extending south to Mount San Pedro Martir in Lower California. In 

 California an important member of the conifer-forest chaparral, frequently forming exten- 

 sive thickets. Deciduous. 



33. Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt.) Walp. Holly-leaf cherry; islay. South Coast Ranges, 

 from the region of San Francisco Bay to Lower California. A frequent member of the 

 climax chaparral; when shrubby closely resembling Rhamnus crocea. In more mesophytic 

 situations it often attains small tree size, with a trunk 3 dm. thick, in such cases resembling 

 Quercus agrifolia so closely in habit and leaf-form as to be distinguishable with difficulty. 



34. Prunus subcordata Benth. Western plum. Southern Oregon southward, in the 

 Coast Ranges to the Mount Hamilton Range, in the Sierras to the Kern River region. An 

 unimportant member of the conifer-forest chaparral. Deciduous. 



CESALPINACEiE. 



35. Cercis occidentalis Torr. Redbud. Foothills of Sierras and Coast Ranges south- 

 ward to San Diego County, eastward to western Texas. Frequently a stream-bank shrub; 

 occasionally a member of the chaparral; in the Cuyamaca Mountains seen in pure thicket 

 growth on a northeast slope. Deciduous. 



LEGUMINOSiE. 



36. Xylothermia montana (Nutt.) Greene [Pickeringia montana Nutt.]. Chaparral pea. 

 Coast Ranges from Mendocino and Lake Counties southward; Sierra Nevada, from Mari- 

 posa County southward; var. tomentosa Abrams in mountains of southern California and 

 Lower California. A widely distributed but not abundant member of the climax chaparral. 



RUTACE^E. 



37. Cneoridium dumosum (Nutt.) Hook. f. San Diego County and northern Lower 

 California. Climax chaparral. 



ANACARDIACEjE. 



38. Rhus integrifolia (Nutt.) B. and H. Mahogany sumach. Santa Barbara to Mount 

 San Pedro Martir and Magdalena Bay, extending eastward to the desert slopes of the 

 Cuyamaca Mountains. 



39. Rhus laurina Nutt, Laurel-leaf sumach. Santa Ynez Mountains to the San Ga- 

 briel Range, southward to northwestern Lower California, mainly near the coast. Usually 

 not abundant, but conspicuous by reason of its light-green foliage. 



40. Rhus ovata Wats. Ovate-leaved sumach. Santa Ynez Mountains to San Bernar- 

 dino and San Jacinto Ranges, south to Mount San Pedro Martir in Lower California. 



