W88 

 (leaf 2) 



and their lesser inclination to graze weeds, and sneezeweed in par- 

 ticular. Horses are rarely, if ever, poisoned by this plant. 



Nausea, which is often the only symptom of orange sneezeweed 

 poisoning noticed by herders on the range, has given rise to the 

 name of the "spewing or vomiting sickness" of which sheep are 

 the usual victims. Other accompanying symptoms may include 

 depression, weakness, salivation, bloating, and diarrhea. Inasmuch 

 as the poison acts slowly, animals suffering from having eaten orange 

 sneezeweed have generally grazed the plant over an extended period 

 of time. It has been the common observation of people who handle 

 sheep in Utah that when a band of sheep) is introduced to a sneeze- 

 weed range comparatively few cases of poisoning occur the first year, 

 with more the second, and still more the third, the effects of the 

 feeding continuing over from year to year. The results of experi- 

 ments carried out by Marsh, Clawson, et al., op. cit., show that the 

 effects of the poisoning "may be permanent ; that sheep once affected 

 by this plant are likely to succumb more quickly to a succeeding 

 feeding, and, even if they apparently recover, are likely to prove 

 worthless." Sheep may even die on the winter range from the effects 

 of having grazed orange sneezeweed during the previous summer. 



The losses in Utah have been greatly reduced by removing the 

 sheep from sneezeweed-infested range when they show symptoms 

 of poisoning and driving them to lower brush range until their 

 condition is improved; they are then returned to the sneezeweed 

 range until the poisoning symptoms recur when the process is re- 

 peated. This is but a temporary expedient and does not effect a 

 real cure. It is obviously advisable to prohibit^ if possible, the 

 ingress of livestock to ranges infested with this poisonous plant and 

 also to encourage the restoration of the range by proper manage- 

 ment which, though a slow process, is apparently the only sure 

 means of lessening the spread of orange sneezeweed. Marsh, Claw- 

 son, et al., in the work referred to, report that grubbing the plants 

 has been found to be too costly a method of exterminating them 

 from the range and cutting with a scythe seems to stimulate rather 

 than prevent growth. Orange sneezeweed presents a serious problem 

 on the range, since it is a vigorous grower, spreads rapidly, produces 

 seeds in abundance, and propagates prolincally from the under- 

 ground parts. 



This species has a stout, woody taproot only a few inches long 

 which develops into a crown, whereby the plant enlarges vegetatively, 

 and there are also numerous, slender, fibrous roots. Orange sneezeweed 

 has a strong tendency to develop adventitious buds on these parts. 

 Clumps of leafy stems sometimes as large as one foot in diameter 

 arise from the older plants. The stems, although sometimes un- 

 branched and bearing only one flower head, are usually branched 

 near the top into a few sparsely leaved stems several inches long, 

 each terminated by a large, orange-yellow flower head. The pale to 

 dark green, parallel-veined leaves show a gradual transition in size 



