IMPORTANT WESTERN BROWSE PLANTS Idd 
Section Cerastes 
Wedgeleaf hornbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus), known locally as 
chamise, chaparral, and greasebush, is a balsamic odorous, often 
sprawling, pale-stemmed shrub of Oregon and California, growing 
usually on dry gravelly ridges and slopes. As a rule, beyond a 
very little cropping, it is neglected by livestock, though sometimes 
browsed rather extensively by deer. Local stockmen in southern 
Oregon report that this species, if grazed extensively, has a bad 
effect on the animals’ kidneys, especially the male livestock. 
Gregg hornbrush (C. greggii) (fig. 82, C, D), known also as desert 
ceanoth (us), is found from western Texas to southern Nevada and 
south throughout almost the entire length of Mexico. It is a stout, 
intricately branched shrub and inhabits dry, semidesert areas per- 
haps mainly in clayey soils, in browse and weed types of the juni- 
per-pinon and covillea belts, at elevations of 3,500 to 7,000 feet, 
- sometimes being so abundant as to lend chief character to the land- 
scape. Relatively inferior in palatability, it is yet important in 
view of its abundance and evergreen foliage, being usually fair to 
good winter and early spring browse for all classes of livestock, 
especially goats. In some places, especially parts of southern 
Arizona and southern New Mexico, it is grazed yearlong. The 
species usually flowers from March to July, largely depending on 
rains; frequently there is another blossoming period from August 
to October; flowers are likely to be found at almost any time of 
the growing season. 
Squaw-carpet (Ceanothus prostratus), or mahala-mats, of Wash- 
ington to western Idaho and California is perhaps the best known 
of the Cerastes species. Squaw-carpet is a prostrate, matlike shrub, 
with small thick evergreen prickly hollylike leaves, and grows in 
open conifer forests. Its forage value is slight or negligible. 
Secondary Genera of Rhamnaceae 
Two species of the very spiny, shrubby genus Adolphia occur in 
the West: Adolphia californica in California and A. infesta in 
western Texas. Neither is known to have any forage value and 
they are sometimes local range pests. 
The genus Colubrina, also represented in the range area by two 
species of shrubs, requires further study to determine its precise 
range significance. Colubrina is obviously very closely related 
botanically to Ceanothus, and bears a remarkably close superficial 
resemblance to that genus, but thus far positive evidence of its 
palatability to livestock is lacking. Colubrina texensis is abundant 
in parts of western Texas. Another species of uncertain identity, 
_ but which may be a form of C. glabra of Lower California and 
- Sonora, grows with simmondsia and scrub oak in the warm dry 
foothills of central and southern Arizona. , 
Condalia, a genus of shrubs and small trees, includes three species 
of the southwestern United States, Condalia spathulata, locally 
known as squawbush; C. meaicana, and bluewood (C. obovata), 
unless, following some authors, the American species of Zizyphus 
be merged in Condalia. In general the herbage of condalias seems 
to have very low palatability, but their edible, berrylike drupes make 
