FREMONTIA (Fremontia calif arnica, Torr.). Flowers with- 

 out petals, the calyx divisions bright yellow, simulating a 

 corolla, from 1 to 3 inches in diameter, borne singly on short 

 footstalks in the axils of the leaves. Leaves an inch or two 

 across, rounded with a few shallow lobes, rusty underneath and 

 somewhat leathery. Shrubs or trees from 6 to 25 feet high, 

 the branches tough and flexible. Southern and Central Cali- 

 fornia on dry hillsides, in bloom from May to July, according 

 to location. Its greatest development is on the foothills of the 

 Sierra Nevada. As a shrub it often forms dense thickets. 



Fremontia is an unforgettable sight when in full bloom, the 

 glorious flower a bright golden yellow. The name was given 

 in honor of General J. C. Fremont, who discovered it, but 

 among our mountaineers it is quite commonly known as Slip- 

 pery Elm because of its mucilaginous bark, which tastes much 

 like that of the true slippery elm, and is similarly used for the 

 making of poultices. It is also called Leatherwood because 

 of the toughness of the branches and bark. 



Some botanists do not consider Fremontia as properly 

 placed in the Mallow Family, and regard it as a member of the 

 nearly related Sterculiaceoe a tropical family that gives us 

 chocolate. 



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