Squawcarpet, often called mahala-mats, is a prostrate or matlike 

 shrub that ranges from Washington to western Idaho and Cali- 

 fornia. It is probably most abundant in the northern Sierras and 

 southern Cascades. It is limited to ponderosa pine or mixed conifer 

 stands and does best on well-drained soils in partial shade. 



Squawcarpet has little, if any, forage value for cattle. Sheep some- 

 times eat the blossoms, fruit, and new growth, but the volume con- 

 sumed is too small to warrant consideration of this species in ca- 

 pacity estimates. The buds and the current year's growth have 

 some value as deer feed, especially in winter or early spring when 

 more palatable species are not available. The principal forestry 

 value of squawcarpet rests in its ability to protect the soil against 

 erosion and in its efficiency as a nursecrop for reproduction, a de- 

 sirable relationship aptly demonstrated by the evident concentra- 

 tion of coniferous reproduction within the colonies of squawcarpet. 

 This aid to forest reproduction is due to a combination of factors, 

 including protection of the seed from rodents and the provision 

 of moisture and light conditions more favorable for germination and 

 growth. 



The numerous, leafy, trailing, frequently rooting branches of 

 each squawcarpet plant form a dense mat 2 to 10 feet broad, or in 

 the case of colonies, they intermingle to form a more or less continu- 

 ous and green ground cover over large areas. The firm, green 

 leaves are from, one-half to 1 inch long, 3-toothed at the end, and 

 may be either toothed or smooth on the sides. The rather large, 

 rounded (globose), sometimes sticky capsules are dry and reddish 

 at maturity (summer) and usually by fall have been shed, leaving 

 the empty calyx disk persistent on the stalk (pedicel). 



