Bearmat, also known as bear-clover, fernbush, mountain misery, 

 and tarweed, is a low, resinous, heavy-scented, evergreen shrub occur- 

 ring in the ponderosa pine and mixed conifer types on the west 

 slope of the Sierra Nevadas in California. It most commonly grows 

 in patches or extensive tracts on the dry flats and slopes in the 

 partial shade of coniferous timber species, and often it is the only 

 undergrowth, producing an attractive, parklike effect. Pedestrians 

 are handicapped by the numerous stems of bearmat, while the strong- 

 scented, sticky resin of the leaves damages their clothing, which ac- 

 counts for the name mountain misery applied to this plant. 



The flowers and fruit of bearmat are sometimes eaten by domestic 

 livestock and deer but the quantity consumed is too small to make 

 this species valuable as a forage plant. Generally, areas dominated 

 by bearmat are waste range, but sometimes enough weeds, browse or 

 other palatable plants grow with it to provide fair feed. Bearmat 

 does not seriously obstruct the passage of livestock nor measurably 

 prevent associated palatable plants from being eaten by grazing 

 animals. 



Bearmat affects forest relationships either beneficially or harm- 

 fully, dependent on the factors under consideration. It has a high 

 value in watershed protection, as it checks run-off, prevents erosion, 

 and maintains the soil in satisfactory condition for moisture absorp- 

 tion. It hinders reproduction of coniferous species, apparently 

 because seed is not properly planted naturally, and such seedlings as 

 do sprout are unable to compete successfully for food and moisture 

 with bearmat's numerous, well-established roots. 



Fire fighters probably more than any other group dislike bearmat 

 because its resinous leaves, along with the duff and collection of 

 needles and twigs from the conifers, provide a concentrated fuel that 

 develops a hot, rapid-advancing fire on windy days of low humidity. 

 The presence of this shrub in quantity makes it difficult to construct 

 fire trails, because the numerous, tangled, tough, woody stems and 

 shallow roots must be removed in order to penetrate through the 

 duff to mineral soil. 



Bearmat has branched stems, 1 to 2 feet in height, arising at inter- 

 vals of a few inches from a complicated and sometimes matlike 

 system of roots and underground stems. The strong-scented, resin- 

 ous leaves, which appear soft and fernlike or tansylike, are divided 

 into very small leaflets, and are borne along the uppermost part of 

 the branches. The white flowers are produced in small, terminal 

 clusters; the petals are soon lost but the five bractlike parts (sepals) 

 immediately beneath them remain and somewhat enclose the one- 

 seeded fruit until fall. 



