APPENDIX QQ. 1G81 



BOTANICAL OUTLINES OF THE COUNTRY MARCHED OVER BY THE 8EVENTR CNTTED 

 8TATE8 I LVALRY, Dl RING I UK SUMMER 01 1-77: i:v V. HAVARD, ASSISTANT SUR- 

 GEON, I Mill* 8TATE8 ARMY. 



The Seventh Cavalry, under command <>i' General Sturgis, dnringits late campaign, 

 extended its operations from Fort Abraham Lincoln. Dak., westward, to the ei 

 boundary of the National Park, and aorthward, through the Judith Basin, to Milk River. 

 Being on duty with the regiment, 1 thus had opportunities for observing the botanical 

 character of the northwestern quarter of Dakota and t lie whole of that portion of Mon- 

 tana lying east of the mountains, comprising about 1,000 miles <>t' Tin- Upper Missouri 

 with its main tributaries, Milk River, the Muscleshell, and the Yellowstone from the 

 canon To its mouth. 



The region as above defined is based almost immediately on Cretaceous or Lignite 

 Tertiary beds. It consists mostly of rolling prairies and Tablelands, intersected by 

 minor mountain ranges, and drained by numerous deep-cut ravines, emptying aT long 

 intervals into shallow, often alkali, creeks. 



The extensive denudation which hastaken place by rain and swollen streams on The soft 

 sandstones and clays of The outlying strata is everywhere manifest in The ravines and 

 gullies or '• coulees" which scar The bottom-lands, in long rows of castellated bluffs and 

 dreary expanses of •• bad-lands." Its general normal altitude is about 2,500 feet, being 

 somewhat less below Buford, l mt considerably more on nearing the mountains. Its 

 flora is nor rich. luiT yet not as scant asone would naturally think, viewingthe endless 

 succession of sandy ridges or grassy swells, with their despairing Bameness of shape, 

 exposure, and soiL However repulsive in aspect, they always bear some vegetation, 

 often Thick and luxuriant, but at times scattered and scrubby. This vegetation con- 

 sists entirely of herbs and shrubs. Well do these plainsdeserve the epithet of t reeless. 

 Trees are only seen on river-bottoms and ravines, where they obtain the requisite moist- 

 ure and are protected against fire and wind. 



I am not now prepared to give a full list of all the plants found and identified : this 

 would require more time and labor than I can afford. My design in this paper is to 

 illustrate The main and salient features of the general flora, enumerate the trees and 

 shrubs, of which I believe I can give a tolerably full catalogue, and close with a notice 

 of The useful and ornamental plants. 



About 300 species were examined and many of them collected, belonging to about 

 200 genera. I think that outside of the mountains the whole number of ptuenogamous 



Species does not exceed 400. 



For the sake of convenience, the flora of this region may be studied as it occurs on 

 the prairies, on the bottom-lands and ravines, on the bluffs and badlands, and on the 

 mountains. 



The prairies are generally covered with grass, tbin-bladed but close-set. tufted, and 

 of good nutritive qualities. It consists mostly of Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua oligosta- 

 chya and scattered specimens of B. curtipendula) ; Porcupine or spear Crass (SUpa 

 comata, the prevalent species, S. spartea, >'. viriduta); Quick (ira<s (Triticum n 

 Barley (Hordeum jubatum smd. pratense) ] Beard Grass (Andropogon furcatus and scopa- 

 riu>i): Cat's-tail Grass (Phlewm proteose)] several species of Meadow Gi 

 together with many Leguminous and Composite genera {Astragalus Artemisia, Erigeron, 

 Liatris, Sec.). The Prairie Plantain (Phtntago patagonica var. gnaphulioides) is also 

 very common. 



( hi the bottom-lands and ravines are The Trees and shrubs described below, of which 

 The following are most prevalent: Poplars (Populus), Willows (Salix), Ash-leaved 

 Maple (Negundo), Sage Brush (Artemisia), Rose Bush (Rosa), Choke Cherry (Pi 

 Buffalo Berry (Shepherdia), Grease Bush (Scarcobatus), Snow Berry (Symphoricarpus). 

 Rank grasses: I CatamagrosUs, SparHna, Elymus, Muhtenbergia, Phragmites, &c. >. Showy 

 annuals, of which may be mentioned, on account of their abundance: Sunflower 

 (Helianthus lenticularis), Wild Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota), ami Grittdelia squarrosa. 



The ubiquitous Cactus (Opuntia missouriensis), the plague of The Western plains, 

 thrives equally well on prairies, bottom-lands, and bad-lands. 



The blurt's and bad-lands present a great variety of species: Red Cedar (Juniperus), 

 in its arborescent and prostrate forms, the Aromatic Sumach < Rhus ), Pine (Pinus), above 

 Tort Peek on the Missouri and Porcupine Creek on the Yellowstone. Many Bhowy 

 plants: Yucca, Astragalus, Lupinus, Oxytropus, Potentilla, CEnothera, FriHUaria, Calo- 

 chortus, Mentzelia, &c. Those indicative of alkali soil: Scarcobatus vermiculatus, Obiom 

 (out) iti/oliu and eanescens, Eurotia Janata, Sucdda torreyana, Corispermum hyssopifoUum, 

 &c The Last-named plant formed The only visible vegetation on most of The bad-lands 

 intervening between The mouth of the Muscleshell and Fort Peck, on The north side of 

 the Missouri. 



The flora of the mountains, very different from that of The plains, is characterized 

 by forests of Pine | Ptittu | and Fir (Abies), groves of Red Cedar ( Juniperus), ami on The 

 banks of the streams, issuing from their Hanks, clumps of Quaking Asp < Populus), Aider 

 (Alnus), and Birch | Betula i. Two species of Gentiana (sapouaria and barbellata Eng. . 

 two of CastUleia (affinis ami linariaifolia ), two of Gooseberry ( Pib<* trriguum and oereum \ 



106 E 



