50 MISC. PUBLICATION 101, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
south rim of the Grand Canyon and the near-by San Francisco 
Peaks, sometimes becomes a small tree 20 to 25 feet high. Aside 
from two species indigenous to western Texas this is the only species 
of Cowania occurring in the United States. 
Cliffrose occurs from southern Colorado and Utah to California 
(east of the Sierra Nevada), Sonora, Chihuahua, and New Mexico. 
It is found mostly in dry rocky situations on foothills and mesas up - 
through the woodland type to the lower fringe of the yellow pine 
belt, between about 4,000 and 8,000 feet. While perhaps most char- 
acteristic 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, pifon, mountain-mahogany, serv- 
iceberry, sagebrush, live oak, and other moderately xerophytic shrubs 
and small trees. 
Although the herbage is bitterish, cliffrose is an important and 
valuable browse species for both cattle and sheep, the persistent 
leaves and the more tender twigs being available for yearlong use. 
The growth habit of the leaves—crowded together for the most 
part at the ends of the short, stubby, almost spiny twigs—facilitates 
their being cropped and has even a tendency to encourage too close 
grazing and so render the bush more lable to stunting. The 
branches are rather brittle, and under prolonged overgrazing the 
bushes are very lable to be broken down and severely damaged. 
Instances have, however, been noted on the Kaibab Plateau where 
grazing of cliffrose seemed to result in the production of a greater 
number of leafy shoots, apparently making the forage production 
greater than under total protection. 
The species is an important element in the forage crop of many 
deer ranges, especially as a source of winter sustenance. 
Apache plume (fF allugia paradowa) (fig. 10), also known as fallu- 
gie and ponil, attains a height of about 7 feet, but 2 to 3 feet is 
about the average stature; it has a diffusely branched habit, with 
slender branches and a whitish or pale-gray bark; the small, lobed 
leaves are evergreen. It is found from western Texas and Colorado 
to southern Nevada, southeastern California, and south into Mexico. 
While reaching its best development in deep, moist, rich sites such 
as open canyon bottoms and sides of arroyos (pl. 4, A), Apache 
plume is found in a great variety of soils, including dry rocky ridges, 
from the lower brush types through the woodland (piion-juniper) 
type to the open yellow pine belt; it is most common in sandy or 
clay loams and in the more southerly parts of its range. In Ari- 
zona and New Mexico it is most common between about 5,000 and 
7,500 feet, but extends up to at least 8,500 feet in northern New 
Mexico. 
The species is common rather than abundant and, in general, is 
of moderate or fair to low palatability for sheep, goats, and cattle, 
although it doubtless is closely grazed on overgrazed ranges. In 
spite of its inferior palatability, the evergreen and often rather 
bunched, or fascicled, leaves of Apache plume and its relatively long 
and delicate twigs make it available yearlong and give it some im- 
portance on winter range. It endures close grazing very well and 
