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Cowania mexicana

Common name:	Cliffrose	Family:	Rosaceae
Author:	D.Don.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 229
Synonyms:	Cowania stansburiana ((Torr.)Jeps.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-western N. America - Utah to California and Colorado, south to central Mexico.
Habitat:	Dry rocky slopes and mesas, usually between 1050 - 2400 metres[82, 229].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	C. alba[B,P] C. mexicana var. dubia[B,P] C. mexicana var. stansburiana[B,G,P] Purshia mexicana[B,G,P] Purshia mexicana var. mexicana[G] Purshia mexicana var. stansburiana[B,G,P] Purshia stansburiana[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cliff Rose [DEN2], Mexican Cliff-rose [B], Mexican Cliffrose [P], Quininebush [B], Stansbury Cliffrose [FEIS,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	cana = grayed due to hairs
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Rose family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Mexico

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 2m. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiarthritic Antiseptic Expectorant Laxative Skin.

A decoction of the green branches, together with sagebrush (Artemisia spp) and juniper (Juniperus spp) has been used as an expectorant and laxative treatment for colds[257].
A decoction of the leaves and flowering stems has been used to treat venereal disease and pains over the kidneys[257].
The leaves have been chewed in the treatment of arthritis[257].
The leaves have been made into a tea for bathing and cleansing the skin[257]. It is an antiseptic wash, used for treating smallpox or measles[257].

Other Uses

Baby care Fibre Insulation Tinder.

The fibres in the bark have been used for making sandals, rope, sleeping mats and clothing[229, 257].
The bark has been crushed, rubbed until soft and then used as a lining in shoes to keep the feet warm[257]. It has also been used as an absorbent nappy for babies and as a soft surface for babies to lay on in cradles[257].
The fine, soft bark has been used as a tinder when starting fires with a fire drill[257].

Cultivation details

Requires a very sunny position[11] and a calcareous soil[200]. This species is also likely to require a very well-drained light or medium soil[K].
The cliffrose is not very hardy in Britain, it is unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest areas of the country and will probably require the protection of a sunny wall even there[11, 200, K].
The flowers are resinous and strongly fragrant[229].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species, but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Purshia mexicana (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Purshia mexicana var. mexicana (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Purshia mexicana var. stansburiana (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for Purshia stansburiana (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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