61 



tain red clover (T. megacephaluin), Parry's clover {T. parryi), silky- 

 dwarf clover (T. dasypliyllum)^ woolly-beaded clover (T. eriocephalum), 

 and Hayden's clover (T. haydeni). Of these, the first three are proba- 

 bly the most valuable. Beclvwith's clover has the lowest altitudinal 

 limit. It is abundant in rich meadows in some localities in southwest- 

 ern Montana at an altitude of about 5,000 feet, and extends as far 

 to the eastward as the Sioux Valley in South Dakota, where it is 

 frequently abundant, though rather local in distribution. It makes 

 a very fine growth in the rich irrigated meadows in Montana, and 

 is regarded as a valuable hay i)lant. In South Dakota ic is found 

 along rather dry swales and creek bot- 

 toms and affords a considerable amount 

 of pasturage, and under more favor- 

 able conditions becomes large enough 

 to be cut for hay. It seems to endure 

 drought quite well, better than the 

 common red clover, and is well worthy 

 of experimentation. On account of the 

 similarity of the fiower heads to those 

 of the common clover, it is sometimes 

 called "wild red clover." 



Long-stalked clover is one of the 

 commonest of the clovers native to this 

 region, and has a wide distribution, ex- 

 tending from southern Colorado along 

 the Rocky Mountains to British Amer- 

 ica and west to the Pacific Slope. It 

 is seldom found below an altitude cor- 

 responding to 6,000 feet in southern 

 Colorado. It is at its best near the up- 

 permost limit for alfalfa, and is often 

 found in (piantity up to 9,000 feet alti- 

 tude. It is a slender, narrow-leafed 

 plant, usually a foot or more in height, 

 with pale, cream-colored or imrplish 

 tiowers. It is highly prized as a forage 

 plant by stockmen, by whom the pale-flowered variety is sometimes 

 called "■ wild white clover." It makes a fine growth in irrigated mead- 

 ows and deserves to be given a trial under cultivation. 



Woolly-headed clover has much the appearance of long-stalked 

 clover, and occurs in similar situations, bat seems to have a more lim- 

 ited distribution, and is chiefly confined to the region west of the 

 Continental Divide. 



Mountain red clover (see fig. 24) is one of the most robust- growing 

 native sorts found in the Eocky Mountain region. The flower heads 

 are large and showy, and the leaves are composed of from five to seven 

 leaflets, instead of three, as is the case with the other clovers of the 



Fig. 24.- 



Monntain red clover (Tnfolium 

 mcgacephalum) . 



