American botanist, later discussed those plants comprehensively in 

 his well-known book, Plantae Fendlerianae. 



Fendler ceanothus occurs in the foothills and mountains from 

 South Dakota and Wyoming to Arizona and western Texas. While 

 it has been collected at elevations ranging from 4,500 to 11,000 feet, 

 and occurs from the juniper-pifion to the spruce zones, it usually 

 becomes abundant only in the ponderosa pine zone, on open, well- 

 drained slopes in combination with such shrubs as manzanita, moun- 

 tain-mahogany, and oaks. This shrub tends to form patches or 

 small colonies, which, however, never become dense enough to limit 

 its use by livestock or game. 



Its wide distribution, local abundance, small but tender leaves, and 

 delicate twigs, even though spine-tipped, combine to make Fendler 

 ceanothus an important browse plant. Its palatability for livestock 

 generally is greatest in the Southwest, particularly in the Coconino 

 and Prescott regions of northern and western central Arizona, and 

 in the Lincoln region of southern New Mexico. In the Southwest its 

 palatability ranges from fair to good for cattle and from fairly 

 good to good for sheep. Horses also browse it frequently. It is 

 probably of highest value for goats, its palatability for such animals 

 ranging from fairly good to good or even very good. Chapline * 

 lists it among the outstanding goat browses of the West, being 

 equaled only by the Pacific species, deerbrush (C. integerrimus). 

 In the northern part of its range, especially east and north of Utah, 

 where it is relatively scarce, small, and has but sparse leafage, Fend- 

 ler ceanothus takes inferior rank, being worthless to poor for cattle 

 and poor to fair for sheep. This species is an important deer feed 

 in many places ; on the Kaibab Plateau its palatability for mule deer 

 rates fairly good. Because of its rather small and somewhat scat- 

 tered leaves the volume of foliage produced per plant is less than 

 that of many other browse species. Hence the shrub may easily be 

 injured by close use, despite that its thorny-tipped twigs protect it 

 somewhat, especially from cattle. Too close utilization of this shrub, 

 particularly where it is abundant, indicates improper range manage- 

 ment and should be guarded against. The species is a very desirable 

 one and should not be browsed so closely as to cause complete defoli- 

 ation. Some of the more protected flower clusters should be per- 

 mitted to go to seed. 



The distinctly three-ribbed, rather small, elliptic, and untoothed 

 leaves, which are silky below and smooth or somewhat silky above, 

 aid in the identification of this species. It flowers from May or 

 June to late July and the fruit ripens in August and September. 



Martin ceanothus (C. mar'tini), sometimes called small chaparral, is re- 

 stricted to Utah and Nevada but merits mention, as it is not only a frequent 

 associate in Utah of Fendler ceanothus but is sometimes a locally important 

 browse. It is easily distinguished from Fendler ceanothus by its larger, 

 rounder, toothed, and perfectly hairless (glabrous) leaves and by the fact that 

 the branches are unarmed. Its palatability, ranging from fair to good for all 

 classes of livestock, is about the same as that of Fendler ceanothus, but is 

 more quickly overgrazed because there are no protecting spiny tips on its twigs. 



1 Chapline, W. R. PRODUCTION OF GOATS ON FAR WESTERN RANGES. U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Bull. 749, 35 pp., illus. 1919. 



