TREES AND SHRUBS 137 



•are worth cultivation. One or two species of Wild Honey- 

 suckle (Lonicera) occur in the mountains. While they are 

 not as valuable for decorative purposes as some of the culti- 

 vated species which do well in the irrigated valleys, they will 

 probably get along on less water and not be so easily killed. 

 Two other shrubs belonging to this family occur in the moun- 

 tains of the State. 



EHRETIACEAE 



A family of low spreading or prostrate white hairy or 

 hispid undershrubs with partly woody stems from stout woody 

 roots. They are close relatives of the Boraginaceae with 

 which they are usually combined. Three of the species have 

 been passing as species of Coldenia in several of the maunals 

 though originally described as belonging to separate genera. 

 The fourth is not yet described. 



The plants are so small and really unimportant that they 

 are not included here although mentioned because they come 

 within the limits of the title. 



VERBENACEAE. Verbena Family. 



A family consisting mostly of herbs as represented in 

 New Mexico where the genus Verbena is common and toler- 

 ably well known. One genus of shrubs is represented by a 

 single species that promises to be of value, as follows : 



Three species of the genus Phyla (P. lanceolata, P. cune- 

 ifolia and P. incise) belonging to this family (sometimes in- 

 cluded in the genus Lippa ) should be noticed here though they 

 are not shrubs or trees. They are low creeping vine-like plants 

 ■that are valuable for use- as a ground cover in place of grass. 

 Another species is used extensively and very effectively in 

 •southern California for this purpose. Particularly in compact, 

 somewhat alkaline soils where grass would do poorly the 

 -species P. incisa would be a very satisfactory substitute. They 

 ■all have small heads of white flowers superficially suggesting 

 white clover: they bloom profusely and require only a little 

 water. 



