Symphoricarpos parishii Rydb.

A low spreading shrub, with branches to 1 m long, rooting at their tips. Shoots glaucous, sometimes sparsely hairy; older bark grey or reddish, flaking. Leaves ovate and often lobed, 10–20 × 5–13 mm, tapered at the base and more or less acute at the tip, thickish in texture, grey-green above with sparse almost straight hairs, paler beneath and usually pubescent; petiole 1–3 mm, pubescent. Flower June–July, mostly in axillary pairs and with few-flowered terminal racemes to 1 cm long; bracts and bractlets oval, acute, glaucous, pubescent; calyx glaucous, bell-shaped, lobes 1 mm long, corolla pink or whitish, narrowly bell-shaped, 6–7 (–8) mm long, with 5 distinct nectaries at the base; tube pilose within, with 5 slightly irregular lobes 2–3 mm long, slightly more than a third the length of the corolla. Anthers 1.5–2 mm, equal or less than the free portion of the filament; style glabrous, 3 mm, nearly half the length of the corolla; fruit white, 6–8 mm wide; nutlets oval, flattened, 3.5–4.5 × 2–2.5 mm. (Jones 1940).

Distribution  Mexico Baja California. United States Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah

Habitat Chaparral and dry hills, from 1600 to 3000 m asl, forming sprawling mats on exposed slopes.

USDA Hardiness Zone 4

RHS Hardiness Rating H7

Conservation status Not evaluated (NE)