40 MISC. PUBLICATION 101, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Lewis mockorange (Philadelphus lewisiz) , known as wild syringa, 
has been legally adopted as the State fiower of Idaho. It is the 
commonest species of the mockorange genus, frequently called 
syringa and represented by about 10 western species with showy, 
often very fragrant flowers. These plants appear to have little or 
no range significance, but more data concerning their palatability 
are needed. 
Whipplea (Whipplea modesta) , occasionally called modesty, grows 
as a low trailing diffuse undershrub in canyons and along streams in 
the Pacific tier of States at elevations between about 1,400 and 5,000 
feet. It is abundant in places, but its palatability is low and it has 
at best only shght forage value. 
GOOSEBERRY FAMILY (GROSSULARIACEAE) 
GOOSEBERRIES (GROSSULARIA SPP.) 
At least 23 species of gooseberry (merged by many botanists in the 
genus Ribes) are native to the Western States. (Gooseberries vary 
from poor to fairly good browse, usually better for sheep than for 
cattle. Gooseberries are of much concern to the forester since they 
are, like the currants, intermittent hosts of the white pine blister 
rust, 
Whitestem gooseberry (G. inermis, syn. FP. inerme), known also 
as smooth, wine, or common wild gooseberry, which ranges through- 
out the Rocky Mountains and the Northwest, is probably as common 
and well known as any western gooseberry. ‘This bush varies in 
height from 1 to 6 feet and is the smoothest of the western goose- 
berries, the spines and prickles being small and sparse. It grows 
best in rich, moist alluvial soils, often in association with willows 
and aspen in meadows or along streams, being found in open timber 
and in full sunlight, and occasionally in dry gravelly or rocky areas. 
The altitudinal range varies from about 2,000 feet in the north to 
about 9,500 feet in the south, but the plant probably is commonest 
between 6,000 and 9,000 feet through the greater part of its range. 
Although in some few localities whitestem gooseberry is regarded 
as worthless it is generally considered to be at least fair for sheep. 
The wide distribution, local abundance, almost entire freedom from 
objectionable spines, and relatively large and delicate leaves make 
it one of the best members of the genus from the range viewpoint. 
The berries, reddish purple to bluish black (wine colored) when 
fully ripe, are very acid and make a good jelly. 
Sierra gooseberry (G. roezli) of California is a fair sheep and 
cattle browse. 
Watson gooseberry (CG. watsoniana, syn. PR. watsonianum) is con- 
fined to the Cascade Mountains of Washington, where it is reported 
by Lenzie as locally abundant and highly palatable to all classes of 
livestock in the fall. 
OTHER SPECIES 
Some of the western range species, notably thicket gooseberry 
(Grossularia divaricata, syn. Ribes divaricatum), of the Pacific 
coast region, and redshoot gooseberry (G. setosa, syn. R. setosum), 
a very bristly, spiny bush ranging from western Ontario to Sas- 
