W94 

 (leaf 2) 



Hawkweeds are widely distributed in the Western States. They 

 grow most abundantly in woodlands, open timberlands, moderately 

 dry open habitats or, in the case of a few species, in moist meadows 

 and parks. Practically all of the species are grazed closely by sheep 

 and goats, and are also fair forage for cattle and horses. A number 

 of species are utilized readily by game animals. Ordinarily, the 

 hawkweeds occur sparsely throughout the western grazing lands and 

 are usually of minor importance in any given locality. Several of 

 the most characteristic and more valuable western species merit 

 special mention. 



Woollyweed (H. scou'leri, syns. H. gris'eum, H. alberti'nwn), a 

 yellow-flowered plant with its foliage, stems, and involucres densely 

 covered with long, soft, white hairs, is one of the most important 

 range species. It grows typically on dry, open grass and weed types 

 and under open ponderosa pine timber, ranging from British Colum- 

 bia and Alberta to Wyoming, Utah, and California. Woollyweed is 

 highly palatable to sheep, but only fair for cattle. Although usually 

 scattered in occurrence, it is sometimes fairly abundant in localized 

 range areas. 



Houndstongue hawkweed (H. cynoglossoi' des) , a species resem- 

 bling woollyweed but less hairy, is distributed over dry, grassy hill- 

 sides, benchlands, and open woods, from British Columbia and Mon- 

 tana to Wyoming and California. It is one of the most important 

 hawkweeds in the Northwest ; all parts of the plant are grazed closely 

 by sheep, and with moderate relish by cattle. It is a yellow-flowered 

 species, rrom 1 to 2 feet high ; the lower leaves are rather hairy, but 

 the upper ones, the upper part of the stem, and the bracts of the in- 

 volucre are usually only sparingly hairy or often hairless. 



Slender hawkweed (H. gra'cile), a small, slender, moisture-loving 

 species, characteristically grows in mountain meadows, alpine parks, 

 along streams, and in damp places of open woods or old burns. It is 

 distributed from Alaska to Alberta, New Mexico, and California, 

 buiL like most of the other hawkweeds, is seldom abundant. When 

 sufficiently abundant and accessible, it is regarded as a valuable weed. 

 It is highly palatable to sheep) and is grazed to some extent by cattle. 

 Slender hawkweed is a relatively low plant, usually 4 to 12 inches 

 high; the leaves are mostly basal, hairless or nearly so; the stems 

 are slender, naked or few-leaved, hairless or minutely woolly; its 

 yellow flowers are in rather small flower heads, and the involucres 

 ordinarily are densely covered with black hairs. 



Several of the hawkweeds are serious pests in the Eastern States, 

 the leading one being orange hawkweed (H. auranti'acum), which 

 has become one of the most troublesome weeds ever introduced into 

 America. The handsome y orange-red flower heads have led to its 

 use in ornamental plantings. Several other species are used in rock 

 gardens, wild-flower gardens, and borders. Shaggy hawkweed 

 (H. villa' 'sum) , an Old World species, has proved particularly desir- 

 able for ornamental purposes. 



The hawkweeds are hairy, glandular, or sometimes smooth peren- 

 nial herbs with alternate or basal, entire, or merely slightly toothed 



