CONDITION AND PLANTS OF THE RANGE. 25 



Forest mountains in last year's report apply equally to the foothills 

 and mountains here and need not be repeated. 



One hundred miles south of this region, in the vicinity of the 

 Black Rock desert in Nevada, the conditions arc very different 

 although the general appearance of the two regions is similar. In the 

 more southern locality the black sage is almost absent on the general 

 mesa, being confined to the higher elevations in the hills and moun- 

 tains, as is the case over large stretches on the gently sloping hillsides 

 surrounding the Black Rock desert, as well as in the vicinity of 

 Lovelock. Saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia) is the one desert shrub 

 and practically the only plant in evidence :it this time of the year 

 over very extensive areas. The vegetation in the vicinity of Boiling 

 Butte will serve as a representation of the flora. Quite a collection 

 was made here from the "sleek*" Black Rock desert to the top of the 

 butte. The first plants in the edge of the deserts are iodine weed 

 (jSpirostachys occidentalis) and pahute weed (I><>n<li<i depressa erecta) 

 in bunches alone- the edges of the desert. These are followed in turn 

 by a scattering growth of salt grass (Distichlis */>/<■<//</), grease wood 

 (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), and saltbush (Atriplex tovreyi). The latter 

 thrives on more alkaline areas than the grease wood. On the general 

 mesa are scattering growths of shrubbery such as saltbush {Atriplex 

 confertifolia), bud sage (Artemisia spinescens), tetradymia (Tetrady- 

 mia spinosa), red sage (Kochia americana), hop sage (Grayia spvnosa), 

 rayless golden-rod (Chrysothamnus viscidijlorus), and white sage 

 (Eurotia lanata). All of the mesa plants extend up the side of the 

 butte for a considerable distance and the red sage, hop sage, and white 

 sage, together with Tetradymia canescens extend to the very top, 

 where there are also found Eriogonum dichotwnum, /'. mic?'othecium, 

 and H. hermanii^ Gilia i>itn<j<ns. bed straw ( Galium midtiflorum), and 

 Lygodesmia spinosa. The black sage does not appear except at the 

 hiffher altitudes aboui 600 feet above the general mesa. On the 

 buttes there was a little Buckley's bluegrass (Poa huefdeyana), while 

 Indian millet (Oryzopsis cuspidata) was found on the sandy knolls on 

 the mesa. The shrubbery, however, is the most important I'vrA, and 

 all of the varieties mentioned are utilized, with the exception of the 

 ravless o-olden-rod and the gilia. On the higher Granite Mountains 

 to the northward there is a scattering growth of juniper and. oJ course. 

 more U'rd, consisting of species of clovers and sedges, together with 

 the bluegrasses and sheep fescue already mentioned for the region. 

 The feed in the vicinity of the hot spring was in striking contrast to 

 that of the mesa and desert. The most conspicuous plant in the water 

 is bulrush (Scirpus olneyi), which is found even in the middle of the 

 stream a short distance from the boiling spring. Farther along where 

 the water was cooler, beard grass (Polypogon m.on$peliensis\ S&.rpus 

 americamis, and prairie bulrush (Scirpus campesPris) throve, farther 



