COMPOSITAE — THISTLE FAMILY — GOLDEN-ROD 775 



rays yellow, short pistillate; scales of the involucre appressed, not herbaceous; 

 receptacle small, not chaffy ; achenes ribbed ; pappus simple, of capillary bristles. 

 Distribution. Widely distributed from New Brunswick to Florida. Com- 

 mon in the Mississippi Valley, especially along fences and in pastures and 

 borders of fields in the Rocky Mountains to the Northwest Territory, British 

 Columbia to Arizona. 



Solidago rigida L. Rigid Golden-rod 



An erect perennial from 2-5 feet high, rough and somewhat hairy, with 

 minute pubescence; leaves oval or oblong, thick and rigid, not 3-nerved, the 

 upper sessile, slightly serrate; heads in a compound corymb, large, 3 or more 

 flowered; rays large, 7 to 10, yellow. 



Distribution. Common in the upper Mississippi Valley, especially on the 

 prairies ; occurs east to New England. 



Poisonous properties. It is thought by some that hay fever is caused by 

 this and other species. A disease of horses in Wisconsin a few years ago was 

 attributed to the eating of golden-rod, but Chesnut thought this might be caused 

 by a rust fungus, Coleosporium solidaginis. 



Mr. J. L. Scott, who made an investigation of this disease, reported in 

 Garden and Forest as follows : 



During the past four years a large number of horses have died in the northern part of this 

 state from the ravages of a disease which has baffled the skill of veterinarians, and I have been 

 called upon to make investigations as to the cause and nature of the malady. At first it was 

 thought to be anthrax, and samples of the blood and sections from the spleen and other internal 

 organs were sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry and to Dr. Russell, of the State Uni- 

 versity, for bacteriological examination. Numerous bacteria were found, but the bacillus 

 anthracis was not present. 



The horses affected were in the majority of cases heavy draught horses from the lumber 

 camps. These animals were brought from the woods in the spring, usually in good condition, 

 and turned out to pasture. Most of them were fed grain while on pasture. On the farm of 

 Mr. C. F. Reynolds, Hayward, Wisconsin, over seventy horses died during the past four 

 years from this peculiar malady. The pasture contained about four hundred acres, three 

 hundred acres of which had been broken and seeded to timothy. Adjoining this was one 

 hundred acres of "slashings" or land from which the timber had been cut, but which had 

 never been broken. This was thickly covered with Golden-rod. On one side of the farm is 

 a lake with a clean gravel bottom and shore. The lake is fed by springs. There is no marsh 

 or low land on the farm. Upon investigation I became convinced that the cause of the 

 trouble was to be found either in the food or water, and watched the horses closely for several 

 days, and saw them eating the Golden-rod greedily — some of them, especially those affected, 

 seeming to prefer the plant to anything else. 



I also visited the farm of Peter Traux, near Eau Claire. There is no Goldenrod to be 

 found on this farm and the disease has not made its appearance. During the past summer, 

 Mr. Traux placed ten horses in pasture near by, where the plant was plentiful, and eight of 

 them died during the summer and the remaining two were affected. When the healthy horses 

 are taken from the pasture in the fall the disease disappears. None of the animals attacked by 

 the malady have recovered, and medicinal treatment does not seem to produce any beneficial 

 effect. 



Symptoms: The animal appears dull, ears drooped, temperature elevated, ranging from 

 103° to 107°, Fahrenheit, during the entire course of the disease. The visible mucous mem- 

 branes are pallid. On the mucous membranes of the vulva small petechial spots are seen. Oc- 

 casionally the legs swell and oedematous enlargements appear under the abdomen. The ap- 

 petite remains fairly good during the entire course of the disease. Emaciation takes place 

 rapidly as the disease advances. Eoss of coordination with staggering gait. Death takes place 

 in from two weeks to two months from the onset. 



Post mortem: On cutting open the body the blood appears to be completely disintegrated, 

 resembling ordinary blood serum. Intestines bloodless, with numerous petechial spots on the 

 mucous membrane. Spleen enlarged, weighing from six to ten pounds. No structural changes 



