Winterfat, a shrubby perennial, is largely known to western stockmen under 

 the name "white sage", because it resembles many of the herbaceous sage- 

 brushes, or "sages" (Artemisia spp.). However, it is not a true sage (Salvia 

 spp.) but is closely related to the saltbushes and belongs with them in the 

 goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) . It is also commonly called winter sage, 

 feathersage, and sweetsage. The generic name Ewotia, is from the Greek 

 euros (mold), referring to the white, hairy herbage. The specific name lanata, 

 from the Latin lana (wool or hair), also alludes to the dense, woolly hairs 

 that cover the plant. Winterfat, as the name implies, is chiefly valuable on 

 winter ranges, where it often furnishes an abundance of palatable and nutri- 

 tious forage highly fattening to sheep and cattle. 



This plant is widely distributed from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to west- 

 ern Nebraska, Colorado, western Texas, California, and Washington, growing 

 primarily, and often, abundantly, in the lower foothills, plains, and valleys 

 on dry soils that are moderately impregnated with white alkali or salty 

 material. Winterfat is commonly the dominant and most conspicuous plant 

 on vast areas of winter range, growing in distinct patches from several square 

 rods to thousands of acres in area. The species is usually intermixed with 

 various saltbushes, semidesert bunchgrasses, rabbitbrush, sagebrush, and grease- 

 wood and, in the higher part of its range, with wheatgrasses and blue grama. 

 It is frequently associated with mesquite in the Southwest. It occurs sparsely 

 at 10,000 feet elevation in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, growing on dry 

 sandy or shallow clay loams in open grass-weed parks and on ridges. 



Winterfat is grazed by all classes of livestock as well as by deer and elk. 

 Bidwell and Wooton 1 state that it is good goat forage. Cotton 2 refers to its 

 value for horses, and it is one of the more important winter-browse species 

 for elk in the Jackson Hole country. The seeds, leafage, and young herbaceous 

 stems are so relished that the plants are often closely cropped. Livestock 

 thrive on Winterfat range and are said to be remarkably free from disease 

 because of the tonic properties of this plant. 3 A number of forage analyses 

 of winterfat have been published * * all showing a very high percentage of crude 

 protein. This species is remakably resistant to drought because of its deep 

 taproot and numerous extensive lateral roots. However, during unusually dry 

 years, winterfat produces a very scant, somewhat brittle growth or may 

 appear dead. Its ruggedness is displayed strikingly in its rapid recovery after 

 a devitalizing drought. Even after a winter of minimum snowfall, if satis- 

 factory spring and summer rains occur, this species grows rapidly and often 

 develops 12 inches or more of new stems. Its most luxuriant summer growth 

 depends on the storage of abundant winter moisture. 



Persistent and continuous overgrazing has measurably reduced this plant on 

 many ranges and has completely destroyed it on others. In western Utah 

 winterfat has been almost completely replaced on thousands of acres of over- 

 grazed winter ranges by small rabbitbrush (Chrysothammis stenophyllus) , and 

 on many of these ranges no winterfat reproduction has occurred during the 

 last 20 years. This shrub responds well to regulated grazing, grows luxuriantly 

 under cultivation, and produces an abundance of viable seed. In New Mexico 

 the germination of fresh seed was found to be almost twice as great as for 

 seed stored 1 year at office-room temperature. 



Winterfat has a deep taproot, numerous extensive lateral roots, many erect, 

 herbaceous stems, and a freely branched, woody base which is often congested 

 by the stubbed-off remnants of former stems. Male and female flowers usually 

 occur on the same plant, although a few plants produce only female flowers. 

 The soft, dense, branched, woolly hairs which beset the herbage are first ash- 

 gray and subsequently become a rusty color. 



1 Bidwell, G. L., and Wooton, E. O. SALTBUSHES AND THEIR ALLIES IN THE UNITED 

 STATES. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull. 1345, 40 pp., illus. 1925. 



2 Cotton, J. S. A REPORT ON THE RANGE CONDITIONS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON. Wash. 



Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 60, 45 pp., illus. 1904. 



' Smith, J. G. FODDER AND FORAGE PLANTS, EXCLUSIVE OF THE GRASSES. TJ. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Div. Agrost. Bull. 2, rev., 86 pp., illus. 1900. 



4 McCreary, O. C. WYOMING FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. STUDIES 

 NO. 9. Wyo. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 184, 23 pp., illus. 1931. 



5 Wilson, C. P. THE ARTIFICIAL RESEED1NG OF NEW MEXICO RANGES. N. Mex. Agr. Expt. 



Sta. Bull. 189, 37 pp., illus. 1931. 



