Bistort, also called American bistort, knotweed, and (though inap- 

 propriately) alpine smartweed, is a perennial herb of the buckwheat 

 family, and attains a height of about 10 to 28 inches. It is widely 

 distributed, ranging from Montana to British Columbia and Alaska, 

 and southward to California and New Mexico. It grows in the 

 mountains in wet meadow's, swamps, around seeps, in moist open- 

 ings in the timber and in high, moist mountain parks. It is most 

 typically a plant of subalpine sites (Hudsonian Zone) but it also 

 occurs in meadows at lower elevations, extending down into the 

 ponderosa pine (Transition Zone). In many localities it grows only 

 as scattered individuals and does not make up any appreciable part 

 of the plant coyer whereas in some restricted meadow and park 

 areas it occurs in great abundance, occasionally being one of the 

 dominant plants. 



Bistort is eaten by both cattle and sheep along with the grasses 

 and weeds found in its habitat. The palatability varies in different 

 localities; in some places it is regarded as being worthless as forage 

 while in others it is eaten readily, especially by sheep. On the 

 average, this plant is considered to be low to fair for cattle and fair 

 \o fairly good for sheep. Deer and elk eat the foliage and stems 

 to a slight extent. 



