''Physocarpus monogynus'', the mountain ninebark or low ninebark, is a flowering

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Distribution

''Physocarpus monogynus'' occurs from northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and west

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

north to

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

and west to

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

(Elmore 1976, USDA 2008). It grows on slopes, shaded by being in canyons or facing north, at altitudes of 1,700 to 3,000 meters (5,500 to 10,000 feet). The typical habitat, at least in the southern part of its range, is dominated by

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

and scrub

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

(Elmore 1976).

Description

The ''Physocarpus monogynus'' plant reaches 1.2 meters (4 feet) in height and somewhat more in width. The leaves are dull green above and paler below, with 3 to 5 doubly toothed lobes, so they suggest big currant (''

Ribes ''Ribes'' is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible f ...

'') leaves. The bark is brownish and shreds, revealing many layers, hence the name "ninebark" (Elmore 1976). In May or June, mountain ninebark bears "rather lovely" white or rose-colored flowers, with five petals based in a cup-like structure. The flowers have one

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

, the meaning of "monogynus" (literally "one female part"). They turn red-brown and stay on the plant into the winter. The seed pods are inflated and covered with white hairs (Elmore 1976). The seeds are bean-shaped, about 2 mm long, bright shiny yellowish (USDA 2008).

Uses

Indians made a pain-relieving

poultice A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth and placed over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds, such as cuts. 'Poultice' ...

by boiling the roots and placing them on the site while still warm.

Rocky Mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs an ...

s eat the twigs when smaller plants are hidden under snow (Elmore 1976).

References

* *USDA, NRCS. 2008
USDA Plants Profile for ''Physocarpus monogynus'' (mountain ninebark)
at the PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov), 20 February 2017). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. {{Taxonbar, from=Q10951552 monogynus Flora of Mexico Flora of the Western United States Flora of Colorado Flora of New Mexico Flora of Texas Flora of the Rocky Mountains Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Taxa named by John Torrey Taxa named by John Merle Coulter Flora without expected TNC conservation status