FERN 279 



conducted. Prevention is, therefore, the only reliable method. 

 Depleted ranges often support heavy stands of sneezeweed. As 

 the range is built up this plant is replaced by good forage 

 species. 



Aconite {Aconitum Columbianum). — Aconite, or monks- 

 hood, is an erect, smooth, single-stemmed plant 2 to 5 feet high, 

 with numerous leaves at the base and a long terminal cluster of 

 conspicuous " hooded " blue flowers (Fig. 103). The plant re- 

 sembles tall larkspur, with which it is commonly confused, and 

 grows in close proximity to it. It is virtually impossible for the 

 layman to tell aconite and larkspur apart by the leaves alone, 

 but when they are in flower they are readily distinguishable by 

 anyone. The larkspur flower is provided with a conspicuous 

 spur; the aconite flower is without a spur but is conspicuously 

 hooded. The distribution of aconite is approximately the same 

 as that of larkspur, the plant being common in the mountains 

 of Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and 

 westward to the Pacific coast. 



Aconite is known to contain toxic properties, and probably 

 is more poisonous than its closest relatives, the larkspurs. How- 

 ever, it is not palatable to cattle, and therefore causes no losses 

 to this class of stock. It is doubtful, too, whether sheep are 

 ever fatally poisoned by aconite. 



Wild or Choke Cherry {Prunus demissa). — Extensive feed- 

 ing experiments with wild cherry have proved that the leaves at 

 times contain the deadly prussic acid and are then extremely 

 poisonous to livestock (Fig. 104). It is well known that animals, 

 particularly sheep, are not infrequently killed on the range by 

 browsing upon this plant. Losses usually occur along driveways, 

 however, where an abundance of wild cherry is found, and where 

 other feed is scarce. The trailing of sheep along closely cropped 

 driveways bordered with wild cherry should be avoided if possible. 

 If it is necessary for the animals to pass along infested driveways, 

 they should be well fed before they start on the trail. Death 

 from wild cherry comes very quickly, and therefore no antidote 

 is recommended. 



Fern (Pteridium). — The common bracken fern {Pteridium 



