114. MISC. PUBLICATION 101, U. S. DEPT, OF AGRICULTURE 
the woodland type, often forming a well-nigh impenetrable chapar- 
ral 8 to 8 feet high. Its palatability to livestock is low, and because 
of its spininess and manner of growth and the fact that the leaves 
fall off early its browse status is low, and it sometimes assumes the 
role of a range pest. The fruit has a fleshy but thin, sweetish pulp 
and is accounted edible. 
The other three species referred to seem to have no forage signifi- 
cance, but Parry jujube (2. parryi, syn. C. parryt), an oiten large 
bush of southern and Lower California, has edible fruits, and Texas 
jujube (Z. obtusifolia, syn. C. obtusifolia) of western Texas, locally 
known as abrojo, lote-bush, and Texas buckthorn, often very abun- 
dant on dry slopes, is of value in preventing erosion. 
GRAPE FAMILY (VITACHAE) 
This family is represented in the West by three genera and about 
eight species of woody vines. These species are all but negligible 
as forage because of their infrequent abundance and low palata- 
bility, although where the plants do occur the leaves are nibbled 
occasionally by livestock. All have some value in wild-life conserva- 
tion. Birds are especially fond of the profuse berries of two 
ornamental climbers of this family, viz: Treebine (Céssus incisa), 
of western Texas and southern New Mexico, locally known as yerba 
del buey, and thicket creeper (Parthenocissus vitacea), ranging from 
Wyoming and Utah east to Michigan. 
MALLOW FAMILY (MALVACEAE) 
This large family is represented in the Western States by at least 
21 native genera and 136 native species. The great majority of these 
are perennial herbs and so will be dealt with in another bulletin. 
The number of both genera and species in this family increases 
markedly as one goes southward, and further botanical exploration 
along the United States frontier from western Texas to southern 
California will undoubtedly add considerably to the list indicated 
above. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) belongs to this family. 
Horsfordia newberryi, a densely stellate-woolly shrub of deserts, 
dry watercourses, and the lke, from Lower California to southern 
California, southern Arizona, and Sonora, seems not to be palatable 
to livestock. A shrubby species of pavonia (Malache lasiopetala, 
syn. Pavonia lasiopetala) occurs in western Texas and south into 
Mexico; it may possibly have a little browse utility. In the same 
region occurs Drummond waxmallow (Malvaviscus drummondit), 
sometimes known as achania and manzanilla, a good-sized bush 
having edible fruits, which is probably browsed to some extent by 
sheep and goats and perhaps a little by cattle also; it seems to have 
possibilities as an ornamental and is reputed by Mexicans and In- 
dians to be medicinal. Widely distributed between elevations of 
about 2,000 and 7,000 feet in southern Arizona (and ranging south 
to Jalisco) occurs thurberia (Thurberia triloba, syns. Ingenhouzia 
triloba, T’. thespesioides), a shrubby species sometimes called Arizona 
wild cotton and algodoncilla. It is hardly palatable to cattle and 
horses but is nibbled by sheep and goats. It is of much economic 
