White hawkweed, also known as white-flowered hawkweed and 

 white woolly weed, is one of the most widely distributed and economi- 

 cally important western species of Hieratiwin. It is rather typical 

 in general appearance and forage value of most of the 25 or more 

 species which occur on the western ranges, but is the only native 

 species which has white flowers. The Latin specific name is an 

 adjective meaning white-flowered (derived from albus, white, and 

 flos, flower) ; both it and the English name refer to the distinctive 

 white flowers. 



White hawkweed is distributed from Alaska to British Columbia 

 and Saskatchewan, and south to Colorado and California, It grows 

 in dry to moderately moist, open wooded slopes in the foothills and 

 mountains, ranging from a few hundred feet above sea level in 

 California and the Northwest to over 9,500 feet in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. This species occurs most commonly under the shade of pon- 

 derosa-pine and lodgepole-pine stands, but also grows in old burns, 

 cut-over lands, Douglas fir, and spruce-fir forests and, to a slight 

 extent, in open grass and weed types. 



Unfortunately, white hawkweed almost invariably grows sparsely 

 scattered over the range, making up only a very small part of the 

 total ground coyer and, on that account, is usually classed as a filler. 

 Where found, it is a valuable range weed as it is palatable to all 

 classes of livestock, usually rating good to very good for sheep, fair 

 to fairly good for cattle, and fair for horses. Deer and elk also 

 graze this weed with relish from the time it first appears until it 

 dries up in the fall. 



Apparently, white hawkweed is unable to withstand continued heavy 

 grazing, as it is gradually disappearing from some of the closely 

 utilized western sheep ranges. Reproduction occurs entirely from 

 seed, but on most ranges relatively few seedlings are in evidence even 

 under the most favorable conditions, indicating that the seeding 

 habits of this species are weak. 



HAWKWEEDS (Hiera'cium spp.) 



The hawkweeds are members of the chicory tribe (Cichorieae) of 

 the composite family (Compositae). A number of those range spe- 

 cies which are conspicuously shaggy-hairy are usually called woolly- 

 weeds. Many of the Old World species are conspicuously variable 

 and have attracted the attention of students of mutation. As a result 

 over 6,800 species of Hieradum have been described, making it, ap- 

 parently, the world's largest genus of flowering plants. However, 

 a conservative estimate of the actual number of species is probably 

 about 400. Hawkweeds are distributed throughout the north tem- 

 perate regions of the world and in the Andes Mountains of South 

 America, with the greatest number occurring in Europe and northern 

 Asia. Only a relatively few species are native to the United States, 

 of which approximately 25 species grow on the ranges of the West. 

 The generic name Hieraeiwrn is derived from the Greek word Jwerax, 

 a hawk hence the common name, hawkweed. According to ancient 

 legends, hawks sharpened their eyesight by using the sap of these 

 plants. 



