COMPOSIIAE 



Heliant hus c iliari s is a Sunflower which none of us would 

 accuse of being such. It is a low perennial with bluish green 

 leaves and long, perennial root stalks. It is very common in the 

 lower Rio Grande agricultural areas where it is called Blueweed, 

 and loved no better than snakes. Its use has been advocated by 

 erosion- -control . people .because of its excellent soil-binding habits. 

 It 'should, however, be remembered that it constitutes a very trouble 

 some weed in farm lands and if it is used at all this should be 

 done with extreme caution. 



Ly godcs mia juncoa, Skeleton Plant, is a perennial which is 

 shrubby at the base but has an herbaceous top. As the name '^'uncoa" 

 indicates, the stems arc; slender and almost leafless. The plant has 

 small, bluish-white flowers and milky juice. Commonly it is not con 

 sidered cf value for forage purposes but observations in the desert 

 leads us to believe that the plant has much more value than is com- 

 monly noted. At times it is very heavily browsed and as it is 

 extremely drought resistant it nay have a place in revegetation 

 programs. The plant should also be tested for its possible rubber 

 content. It is widely distributed in the west. In some regions 

 it is suspected of being poisonous. 



Lygodcsmia grandif lora probably is of no significance as a 

 forage plant but why it has not been introduced into flower gardens 

 is hard to comprehend. It blooms through a long season and has 

 very showy, pinkish-white flowers. Its low bushy habit and its 

 ability to withstand drought and to grow in poor soil, make it 

 ideal as an ornamental in many southwestern situations. It does 

 not range as far south as L. juncca , coming only into northern New 

 Mexico and northern Arizona. Otherwise the range is comparable to 

 that of juncea . 



Ch rysotha mnuG sop . The Rabbit Bushes are extremely abundant 

 at moderate to high altitudes throughout the west. They are low to 

 rather tall shrubs with bright yellow flowers. T.'e have several 

 species in the southwest. While they are effective soil binders 

 in many localities they must be considered weeds as they are not 

 browsed and their growth and abundance are promoted by heavy graz- 

 ing of the range. Extensive tests have been made on several spe- 

 cies of this genus to determine their rubber content. Some arc 

 promising from this standpoint. 



Scnoc io f ili f oliu s , Groundsel. We have many species of this 

 genus of composites in the west. They range from rare to abundant 

 but none are so wide in distribution and so generally abundant as 

 this species, ranging from Colorado and Utah, south into Mexico. 



