RAN(;K FKKl). 55 



the time of riponiiio-, hut uic of no miIuc after that date, heeau.se of 

 their extreme harshness. Belonoinu- to the same family as tlie hitter 

 is a very large group of borages, uhicli are of importance as sheep 

 feed. The most abundant of these arc I*la<ji(th()f/ir[/s (irlzonlcni^^ 

 P. tenellu.s^ AiiishiJiia tt-s>it'lata^ Cryptantlu' ci/Uoptera^ ('. intennedia. 

 C. angustifolla^ and Ereinocarya inta'dnthn. The water-leaf family 

 is represented by a large number of very conspicuous ])lants which 

 are of more or less forage value for a short time. The most numerous 

 of these Ixdong to the genus Phacelia {Pluicdin arhonlcd^ P. crennlata^ 

 P. tanacetifoliiu and /*. ranumi), which will seem rather peculiar for- 

 age plants to many, but they, as well as EHiNui chryNaiitJiriitifoJia^ 

 nuist be listed here as of some forage value, although not grazed 

 except when feed is scarce. Of somewhat more value than the 

 above are numerous plants related to the cultivated i)hlox, of whicii 

 the most important are Ll)i((nthiis higelovil^ L. mirrii^ and (iilin 

 inconsplcxui ( ?). Mexican po]jpy ( Eclhscholtzia inexicand) is reported by 

 many to be of some value. Mr. Ed. Vail and others assert that their 

 vaqueros report that stock live largely upon this pop[)y. Indian wheat, 

 and jojoba {Siiii4>ii<lsi<i cul'ifonuca)^ during wintei- and spring on the 

 west side of the Habucpiivari Mountains. Tlu' ()l)ser\ations of the 

 writer do not entirely contirm these \i(Mvs, but it should be statcnl that 

 wherever observed othci- feed has been abundant enough, so that it 

 has not been necessary for stock to graze poj)pies. M<ilra,sfrKtii pxih' 

 makes a large amount of feed on many of the river bottoms. During 

 the past season it was a])undant and extensively grazed in the lower 

 San Pedro, Gila, and Santa Rosa valleys. 



The native mustards, Sophia Incisa^ S. pinnata^ Lesquerella gor- 

 donii^ Thelypodmm lasiophyllum and peppersvort [Lepldluni lasio- 

 caipwii) form a small but important and interesting group of forage 

 plants in the southern part of Arizona. With the exception of Les- 

 querella gonion 11 they are not grazed much while green, but after they 

 are ripe the pods and oil}' seeds are greatl}^ relished, by range horses 

 especiall}'. Horses have never been observed in better condition upon 

 the range than they were upon the mesas south of Tucson in Ma}', 

 1903. An abundant opportunity was had to observe what they were 

 feeding upon. They appeared to be subsisting entirely upon seeds of 

 these cruciferous plants, which grew mainly in the protection of 

 shrubs, where they are scarcely molested until they are ripe. During 

 the early part of the dry season, however, they were cleaned up about 

 as completely as the grasses in similar situations in autumn. 



Quite a number of leguminous annuals are of importance in the 

 southern part of the Territory. Upon the mesas and foothills two 

 species of lotus {Lotus humistratus and L. humilis) and vetch (Astraga- 

 lus nuttalUi) are the most important. A glance at the taldes (pp. 26-29) 

 will show the relative importance of these to the other vernal forage 



