Cliffrose, a leafy evergreen shrub, gets its common name from its 

 rather frequent habitat in the cliffs and from the fact that it is a 

 member of the rose family with fragrant wildrose-shaped flowers. 

 It is often called quinine-bush because its twigs are very bitter. It 

 sometimes appears in literature as Cowania meodcana, a distinct and 

 wholly Mexican species. 



It occurs from southern Colorado and Utah to California (east 

 of the Sierra Nevada), Sonora, Chihuahua, and New Mexico. It 

 is found chiefly in dry, rocky situations on foothills and mesas up 

 through the woodland type to the lower fringe of the ponderosa pine 

 belt at altitudes ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. Although, per- 

 haps, most characteristic of limestone areas, it grows also on granitic, 

 volcanic, and other igneous formations, often on east and south slopes, 

 and is frequently associated with juniper, pinon, mountain-mahogany, 

 serviceberry, sagebrush, live oak, and other moderately dry site 

 (xerophytic) shrubs and small trees. 



Ordinarily, cliffrose is spreading, has many branches, and is 3 to 

 12 feet high. Under the most favorable circumstances it becomes 

 a small tree from 20 to 25 feet high. The bark on the twigs and of 

 young plants is somewhat roughened with a papery scurf; on the 

 trunks of the larger shrubs, however, it hangs in long shreds some- 

 what like juniper bark but more loose and papery. 



Where abundant, cliffrose is an important and valuable browse 

 for sheep, cattle, and deer, the chief utilization usually being in 

 winter. It is the key species on the winter range of the Kaibab 

 Plateau for both deer and cattle. It is little used by sheep, cattle, 

 or deer during spring and summer if other succulent forage is 

 plentiful. The branches of the shrub are brittle and under abusive 

 grazing are liable to be broken and severely damaged, particularly 

 by cattle. Deer, however, also may break down the branches when 

 there is a shortage of forage. Proper browsing, however, stimu- 

 lates lateral bud growth which results in the production of a greater 

 number of leafy shoots and more forage than where the plant is 

 protected. 



The current growth of shoots, together with their numerous leaves, 

 is the most palatable part of the plant. The growth of the suc- 

 ceeding year arises mainly from the remains of these shoots which 

 are left after grazing. Proper utilization of this browse should be 

 based upon the current shoot growth. The growth habit of the 

 leaves on the older twigs they are crowded together on the ends 

 of short stubby twigs makes them readily available. 



Although cliffrose usually produces a liberal supply of seed, years 

 of favorable plant increase are sometimes widely separated. The 

 fact that cliffrose plants are unusually long-lived partly counter- 

 balances this shortcoming. 



