22 



BULLETIN 1423, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUBE 



browse they are particularly fond of the succulent youn<; (grasses of 

 A'arious kinds and of such herbs as wormwood, fernweed. vetch, fire- 

 weed, smart weed, dock, horsetail, sea-parsnip, and groundsel. In 

 the middle and latter part of the summer they feed mainly on sedges, 

 A'arious species of browse, lichens, mushrooms, and the more succu- 

 lent herbs. Mosses are eaten only incidentally, mixed with the other 

 forage. 



In the order of relative forage A alue, the plants grazed during the 

 summer may be listed as follows : 



(1) Most important, because of high palatability and greatest 

 abundance : 



Eriophonim caUitrix 



seds'e) . 

 Eriophontm angiisfifoliinii 



ton sedge). 

 8(ili.r (willows). 



(small cotton 

 (large cot- 



Clndonia (mostly) (lichens). 

 livtuJa rotuiuVifolia (ground birch). 

 Ledum deciuiihcns and L. grocnJandi- 

 cum (Alaska tea). 



(2) Of medium importance, because of high palatability and only 

 local abundance or of medium palatability : 



Alnuft nlnohetuln (alder). 

 Vacciiiium vitis-idaea (mountain cran- 

 berry ) . 



Eiiiprtnnii ni(/nnn (crowherry ) . 

 Vacciniuiii uliginonum (blueberry). 

 Dnjna octoix'tala (dryad). 

 Baniiiwulus pallasii (water butter- 

 cup ) . 



Eqiiisctum (horsetail) . 

 ^'al('l^ialla cnpiUila (valerian). 

 Pcdicidaris spp. (fernweed). 

 EpilobiiiDi (Digiistifoliiiiii (fireweed). 

 Artemisia arctica and A. tHesii 

 (wormwood). 



Lupiniis areticus (lupine). 

 Aatrayahis alpinus and A. IHtornlis 

 (vetch). 



Pol m/o nil III alndkanum (smartweed). 

 Riime.e nrrideiitalifi (dock). 

 CoclopJeHniiii f/iiielini (parsnip). 

 Lifiuxtieiim seuticiim (Scotch lovage). 

 Ciirc.r (sedge). 

 Poll (grass). 



Arctagrostis, Calamagrostis, Ec-stuca, 

 Agrostia, Phlcum (grasses;. 



(3) Of less importance, because of lower palatability: 



giiielinl (hemlock pars- 



Rubvs chamaemorus (cloudberry). 

 Kilics fristc (currant). 

 \ ill II nun pauciflortim (cranberry 

 bush). 



Biiliiis arctieus (raspberry). 

 Aretons alpina (alpine bearberry). 

 Betitid kenaica (birch). 



Coniofielinum 

 ley). 



Biijdpiiniin aiiierieaniiin (hare"s-ear). 

 Merckiu pliiixodis (beach starwort). 

 Latlij/rus innritimiis (beach pea). 

 Mertensia paniculata (bluebells). 



The ])alatability of numerous other species of the herbaceous 

 vegetation has not yet been determined, but they are generally of 

 minor importance because of infrequent occurrence. 



FALL FOUAGE 



Towai'd fall (he reindeer graze more and more on lichens, their 

 chiel" food con.sisting then of lichens, sedges, willows, ripened tops 

 of grasses, and perhaps some of the other browse species. 



WINTER FOUAGE 



During the winter season, the forage consists almost entirely f)f 

 the various lichens. The species of C/adoiim are the most im- 

 portant because of their high palatability and great abunihince. 



