Ballhead waterleaf is also known as cats-breeches, ragged-breeches, bear- 

 cabbage, and .simply as waterleaf. It is a low, perennial herb with attrac- 

 tive ball-shaped clusters of violet-blue flowers ; deeply-lobed, long-stalked, hairy 

 leaves ; short, indistinct stems ; and numerous, fleshy roots clustered on a 

 short, underground rootstock. The genus Hydrophyllum, which gives the water- 

 leaf family (Hydrophyllaceae) its name, is strictly American and consists 

 of approximately a dozen species. Ballhead waterleaf is the most common 

 and abundant of the seven or eight species of waterleaf which occur on the 

 western ranges and is fairly representative of the group in general appearance 

 and forage, value. The name waterleaf is a literal translation of Hydrophyllum, 

 derived from the Greek Jii/dro-, water, and pliyllon, leaf. This name has a 

 practical significance, as the foliage of the plants in this genus contains a 

 high percentage of water and hence is termed washy feed by the western 

 stockman. Ballhead waterleaf gets its Latin and English specific names from 

 its distinctive ball-shaped (capitate) flower heads. 



Ballhead waterleaf ranges from British Columbia and Montana to Colorado, 

 and central California ; it does not occur west of the Cascade Mountains in the 

 Northwest. This herb extends from the low valleys and foothills up to the 

 aspen and spruce belts, being most common at medium elevations. It most 

 typically occupies fertile, semishaded sites in or bordering woodlands, open 

 stands of aspen and ponderosa pine, in canyon bottoms, and on brushy hill- 

 sides. However, it is not uncommon in weed or grass types of open slopes 

 exposed to full sunlight. Ballhead waterleaf is one of the spring plant pioneers, 

 as it appears with the first warm days of the season and makes its growth while 

 the soil is still moist from the receding snows. 



This species has been used as an indicator of either range readiness or lack 

 of readiness. Ordinarily, the principal forage plants are not ready for grazing 

 until after ballhead waterleaf passes the flowering stage. Since this plant 

 matures its seed, dries up, and disappears from most ranges early in the graz- 

 ing season, it is usually of little value for forage. However, on some spring 

 range areas and lambing grounds, it is readily grazed by all classes of livestock. 

 and constitutes an important part of the early forage crop. On such areas, its 

 palatability ranks as fairly good to very good for sheep, and fair for cattle. 

 Deer and elk, after a winter diet of browse and dried herbage, welcome thu 

 appearance of this succulent herb and graze it with relish. 



The young, tender shoots of this plant, as well as of several other species of 

 waterleaf, are often eaten by both Indians and white men. They provide 

 excellent greens, especially if gathered before flowering; the western Indians 

 sometimes eat them raw. 



Western waterleaf (H. occidenta'le), also known as squawlettuce, because of 

 its use for food by the Indians, ranges from Oregon to California and western 

 Nevada. It is locally important on spring-range areas in eastern California, 

 where it grows in abundance and ranks as fairly good forage for cattle and 

 very good for sheep. This species closely resembles ballhead waterleaf in 

 appearance and habitat, but is a taller plant, usually 5 to 15 inches high but 

 sometimes attaining a height of 24 inches ; its clusters of violet purple to white 

 flowers are borne on long stalks, and its leaves are divided into 7 to 15 sharp- 

 pointed lobes, which may be further lobed or divided. 



Whiteface waterleaf (H. al'bifrvns), a rank-growing, white-flowered species, 

 is an important forage plant in some localities in the Northwest, where it 

 ranges from British Columbia to Washington and Idaho. It grows in dense 

 patches in high mountain parks and meadows, as well as scatteringly along 

 shady stream banks and in or ne;ir willow and alder thickets at lower eleva- 

 tions. The succulent foliage is grazed with relish by livestock, especially 

 sheep, during the forepart of tho summer grazing season. It produces washy 

 forage lacking in substance, however, and usually dries up early, practically 

 disappearing from the range by midsummer. 



