IMPORTANT RANGE PLANTS. 53 



Coneflower furnishes a large supply of forage. The stems are 

 rather tough even when young, and only the flower heads and leaves 

 are eaten. As the plant attains its full height the seed heads are 

 generally above the reach of sheep. While in some localities the 

 stems are quite bare after the lands have been grazed, this is rather 

 the exception. In mixture with other palatable plants it is grazed 

 with relish, but when it furnishes the bulk of the feed, stock are apt 

 to scatter widely in search of more desirable forage. 



Yarrow. 



(Achillea lanulosa.) 



Yarrow is one of the most widely distributed plants in the region 

 studied. It is found from the lower Transition to the upper Hud- 

 sonian zone, on intermediate ranges in such abundance as to be of 

 considerable grazing value throughout the mountains. 



Wild tansy, as yarrow is sometimes called because of its resemblance 

 and close relationship to the tansy cultivated in gardens, is a peren- 

 nial with stems densely woolly, 12 to 24 inches high, terminating in 

 conspicuous flower clusters, convex in shape, and with white ray 

 flowers. The silky leaves, finely divided or dissected (Plate LIII), 

 are produced in abundance, as are also the leaves which originate 

 from the horizontal rootstocks. 



This species while succeeding best in a comparatively light, well- 

 drained clay loam, does well in a variety of soils and situations. It 

 inhabits glades and open parks, however, where it gets the benefit 

 of full sunlight. In the lower situations it is scattered, and it does 

 not anywhere form a pure stand. On the upland ranges, however, 

 it usually forms great bunches or tussocks, as shown in Plate LIV. 

 It is comparatively drought resistant. Individual plants tested did 

 not wilt to a point causing death until the moisture content was 

 reduced to 12.3 in one case and 10 per cent in another. 



The flowering period is unusually prolonged. On the lower ranges 

 the flower heads begin to show early in June, but in the Hudsonian 

 zone not until about July 20. In the mountain lands flowers which 

 were just beginning to open have been observed as late as September 

 15. As a result, a large percentage of the seed crop in the high range 

 never reaches maturity. The earliest fuDy ripened seeds are found 

 about August 20. In 1908 and 1909 the germination tests averaged 

 16.5 and 39.2 per cent, respectively. Over 90 per cent of the seed 

 crop of 1909 from the lower ranges was fertile. On protected range 

 areas reproduction is very promising. 



Both cattle and sheep seek out yarrow from among its associated 

 species and eat it with avidity. As a rule the unpalatable stems are 



