502 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [lfflR 



even have blind-staggers. It is said that animals having once felt the 

 effects of this weed are very likely to return to it until it kills them. ° 



Oxytropis Lamberti, Pursh. 



Herb, in habit bearing some resemblance to the preceding, only found 

 in Northern Texas and nowhere common in the State. It is a loco plant 

 of bad repute which, however, it may not deserve. 



SALICACE-SJ. 



Populus monilifera, Ait. and P. Fremonti, Watson. (Cottonwood; the Alamo of 

 the Mexicans.) 



Species closely allied and hard to distinguish ; the latter not extend- 

 ing east of the Pecos. Abundant on the Eio Grande, from El Paso to 

 Presidio del Norte ; common on the San Antonio and Medina Eivers, 

 scant on the Nueces ; also found on the headwaters of the many forks 

 of the Colorado, Brazos and Bed River where they indent the high 

 plateau of the Staked Plains, and along water-courses at the base of 

 the Guadalupe, Limpio, and Chenate Mountains. 



In all of these places the Cottonwood reaches a large size, 1 to 5 feet 

 in diameter, and is a valuable timber and lumber tree. If protected 

 from rain and sun the wood is very durable ; it possesses remarkable 

 immunity from boring larvae. I have seen beams of it quite sound in 

 churches more than a century old. Boards, unless carefully dried, are 

 liable to warp and crack 5 this is prevented by boiling in lye. Cotton- 

 wood makes poor fuel. 



Salix nigra, Marsh. (Black Willow ; Sauz of the Mexicans, ) 



Under several forms, the commonest species of Willow ; grows on most 

 streams as a small or medium-sized tree. On the Lower Eio Grande, 

 where it is sometimes absurdly called Cottonwood, it attains a large 

 size, 1 to 3 feet in diameter, and becomes an important timber tree. 



Salix longifolia, Muhl. (Long-leafed Willow.) 



Like the preceding, very common along water-courses, varying much 

 in size from a small shrub along the Middle Pecos to a medium-sized tree 

 in the Chenate Mountains. 



Salix amygdaloides, Anders. ? 



Good-sized tree, common on the Bio Grande from El Paso to old Fort 

 Quitman. 



The wood of these willows is tolerably hard and tough, but not very 

 durable, and only makes passable fuel. The Mexicans scrape off the 

 leaves, crush and make an infusion of them which is used internally 

 and externally in yellow fever and other fevers of malarial origin. If 

 there be any efficacy in the leaves thus used it seems as though there 

 ought to be more in the bark. 



The leaves of the Texas Fresno (Fraxinus viridis, var. Berlandieriana) 

 are also used for the same purpose. 



