IMPORTANT RANGE PLANTS. 47 



It is an erect smooth perennial plant from 1 to 3 feet tall, with 

 square stems and opposite, petioled leaves, the margins coarsely and 

 irregularly toothed. The flowers are clustered in a dense terminal 

 spike, the corolla pink-white or sometimes light purple. The root is 

 coarse, fibrous, woody, and rather spreading (Plate XLV). 



Horsemint is widely distributed. It is met with occasionally in 

 the Transition zone, and is abundant in the Canadian and Hudsonian 

 zones. Though occurring but sparingly in the upper altitudes of the 

 latter zone, it is of considerable value for forage up to 8,000 feet. 

 The best development and densest stands are found in loose soils 

 of medium moisture on the glades in the upper Canadian and lower 

 Hudsonian. While it often predominates over associated species in 

 the better and moister soils, it almost always grows in scattered 

 stands, especially in shallow, coarse, gravelly clays. 



The flowers begin to form about July 10, but all are not expanded 

 as a rule until August 20. Fertilization is largely effected through 

 insects, mainly bees. The two-lipped corollas drop soon after 

 fertilization. 



Matured seeds are usually found by the last week in August though 

 the entire crop is rarely ripened until about September 10. The 

 matured, brownish-black, plump, hard-coated, oval seed-like nutlets 

 are not disseminated at once, but are readily expelled when the seed 

 cluster is vigorously shaken, shooting out some distance from the 

 parent plant. For a high-range plant the germination power of the 

 seed is about the average. In 1908 and 1909 representative samples 

 gave an average of 16 and 28.5 per cent, respectively. Where this 

 species is given a chance to reproduce, i. e., on ranges where the seed 

 crop is allowed to mature prior to grazing, reproduction is taking 

 place, though sparingly. The actual amount of seed produced per 

 plant is relatively small, and since only about one-fourth is fertile 

 the species is succeeding as well as might be expected. 



Horsemint begins growth early in the season and matures late 

 and consequently is relished by stock at all times during the summer. 

 Both sheep and cattle eat it with much relish, though sheep graze it 

 with greater avidity. Horses eat it only to a limited extent, and it 

 can not be considered of value for this class of stock. Until the 

 flowering parts begin to drop the entire cluster is consumed, so that 

 early in the season the whole plant is eaten. After about August 10 

 only the leaves are grazed. Since younger leaves remain green some 

 little time after seed maturity, horsemint is preferred in the fall of 

 the year to some of the more valuable grasses and forage plants. 



Blue Beardtongue. 

 {Pentstemon procerus.) 



About 100 species of Pentstemon are found in the United States 

 and Mexico, many of them of value for grazing. Blue beardtongue 



