8 CIRCULAR 348, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
margined, opposite leaves, and blue flowers, with conspicuous, long- 
extended, upwardly curled, violet-colored stamens. It is a common 
plant of dry soil in open fields or woods, and its seeds are often found 
in quail stomachs, though usually in small quantities. 
35. BUTTONWEED 
Buttonweed (Diodella teres) is a low, rather wiry, branching annual 
with rough, spreading branches, opposite, narrow ‘leaves, and small 
pink flowers, solitary in the leaf axils, It is one of the most prevalent 
weeds in the South and frequently occurs in quail stomachs though 
it is relatively unimportant because of the small bulk consumed. 
The flat side of the dry, seedlike fruit shows some resemblance in form 
to the bottom of a horse’s hoof. Fields, roadsides, and open waste 
places afford this plant an ideal environment. 
36. POISON-IVY 
Poison-ivy and oakleaf poison-ivy (Toxicodendron) are vines or 
shrubs with three-foliate leaves and clusters of round, whitish, 
berrylike stone fruits. Bobwhites consume the fruits without appar- 
ent harm, and under certain conditions the shrubby plant plays an 
important part in the winter food supply. 
37. PEANUT 
Quail are very fond of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) and glean them 
from harvested or hogged-off fields. Cultivation of the plant is 
restricted largely to sandy or sterile soils of the Coastal Plain. 
38. BLUEWEED 
Blueweed (Echium vulgare) is a bristly-hairy plant of fields and 
waste places, 1 or 2 feet high, having numerous, medium-sized 
flowers, pink in bud and blue when open. The nutlets are large, 
rough, ‘and three- angled. 
39. BUTTERFLY-PEA 
The butterfly-pea (Bradburya virginiana) is a twining vine of sandy 
soils with three- foliate leaves, long, pointed pods, and showy, lavender- 
pink flowers. Itisa preferred quail food where it occurs but ismore 
important in the Coastal Plain than elsewhere. 
40. SORGHUM 
Some stomach records indicating sorghum (Holcus sorghum) were 
excluded because of questionable “determination, and it is possible 
that this plant is considerably more important than the present 
ranking indicates. It is an important. bobwhite food in Oklahoma 
and the Southwestern States, where it is often planted on preserves. 
The variety known as “Egyptian wheat” is one of the best for quail 
because the inflorescence is loose and the grains are therefore less 
susceptible to molding. 
41, BEAUTYBERRY 
Beautyberry, or French-mulberry (Callicarpa americana), is a 
shrub with large, smooth-margined, opposite leaves and showy 
clusters of small, globular, lavender-purple fruits. It is a popular 
source of food from late summer until frost and is probably more 
