SILKTASSELS (Gar'rya spp.) 



At least 14 species of silktassel are now recognized in North America; all, 

 except one species of the West Indies, are native to the Western States and 

 Mexico. Silktassels are considered by some authors to be closely related to the 

 dogwoods (Cornus spp.) who place them in the dogwood family (Cornaceae). 

 Other botanists regard these plants as forming a distinct plant family (Garry- 

 aceae), whose relationship is not certain but probably has closer affinity with 

 the willow family (Salicaceae) than with the dogwoods. These shrubs mostly 

 have a grayish hue and are easily recognized by the short-stalked, opposite, ever- 

 green leaves, the opposite, four-angled branchlets, and the silky, pendent flower 

 and fruit clusters which are (often conspicuously) bracted. As a rule, all parts 

 of the silktassels are permeated with an intensely bitter, quininelike substance, 

 which doubtless accounts for the general low palatability of the genus. The 

 most common species of the western United States are Fremont silktassel 

 (O. fremon'tii), Goldman silktassel (Q-. ffoldma'nii) , tasseltree (G. ellip'tica), 

 \Vright silktassel (G. wriyh'tii), and yellowleaf silktassel ((J. flurcx't-rns). 



Fremont silktassel, locally called bearbrush and California feverbush, ranges 

 from southern California to Washington, mostly on dry ridges and slopes at 

 elevations of from 2,500 to 7,000 feet in the coastal ranges and in the Sierra 

 Nevada Mountains. In California, it grows chiefly as scattered individuals in 

 the chaparral and is largely inaccessible to livestock. In Oregon, the species 

 has come in on burns and it is there generally regarded as fair browse and, 

 in some localities, as one of the principal winter browse species. It is a shrub, 

 mostly from 5 to 10 feet high, with elliptic or oblong, entire-margined leaves, 

 about l 1 ^ to 2% inches long, hairless and shining above and grayish hairy 

 beneath or, in age, often very yellow and hairless beneath. 



Goldman silktassel, a small species seldom over 3% feet high, with densely 

 hairy leaves, occurs in western Texas and southern New Mexico and is usually 

 regarded as good goat feed. 1 



Tasseltree, known also as feverbush, quinine-bush, roundleaf silktassel, tree 

 silktassel, and by other local names, ranges from Oregon to California, being 

 common in the chaparral belt of California at elevations of from 100 to 2,500 

 feet. It is mostly worthless as forage for domestic livestock, although grazed 

 slightly by goats. This is the only treelike species of the genus and the only 

 species grown as an ornamental. It sometimes reaches a height of 20 feet. 

 The leaves are elliptical or somewhat narrowed, with undulate and more or less 

 rolled-back margins, hairless above, densely hairy beneath, and from 1% to 

 2 l /2 inches long. The "Forty-niners" used a tea made from a mixture of this 

 species and Fremont silktassel as a substitute for quinine. 2 



Wright silktassel, known by a variety of local names bearberry, chaparral, 

 coffeeberry, feverbush, grayleaf dogwood, and quinine-bush is a shrub from 

 1^ to 10 feet high with thick, evergreen, leathery, sharp-pointed, entire-mar- 

 gined leaves, usually less than twice as long as broad, sparsely hairy and 

 grayish above and principally hairless and yellowish beneath. The male flower 

 clusters, or catkins, are commonly more or less branched. The bark of the 

 branches is smooth and dark red in color; that of the larger stems somewhat 

 furrowed and grayish. This species grows from western Texas to central Ari- 

 zona and south into Mexico, being found on dry rocky hillsides and in canyons, 

 chiefly in the pinon-juniper belt, at elevations of from 5,000 to 8,000 feet, often 

 in association with oakbrush (Quercus spp.), mountain-mahoganies (Cercocar- 

 pus spp.), manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.), and sumacs (Rhus spp.). Ordi- 

 narily, this shrub is regarded as practically worthless as livestock forage, 

 although in southern Arizona it is sometimes grazed to some extent by cattle 

 during the winter. 1 Chapline 3 . reports that it has a moderately high palatability 

 as goat browse, especially in summer. 



1 Dayton, W. A. IMPORTANT WESTERN BROWSE PLANTS. TJ. S. Dept. Agr. Misc. Pub. 

 101, 214 pp., illus. 1931. 



2 Chandler, K. AS CALIFORNIA WILD FLOWERS GROW : SUGGESTIONS TO NATURE LOVERS. 

 132 pp., illus. San Francisco. 1922. 



3 Chapline, W. R. PRODUCTION OF GOATS ON FAR WESTERN RANGES. U. S. Dept. Afgt 

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



