44 BULLETIN 545, U. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTVEE. 
apex of the raceme. Accordingly, while the upper part of the raceme 
is in full flower the lower portion often has well-developed seed pods. 
In some cases the seed reaches maturity on the lower parts of the 
raceme while buds are still forming on the upper portion. The seed- 
maturing period begins about August 1 and continues until inclement 
weather sets in. 
While the viability of the seed is not high, the average for that 
collected hi 190$ and 1909 being 21.5 per cent, the earlier maturing 
seed rims from 10 to 12 per cent higher than that maturing later. 
The amount of seed produced is unusually large and reproduction is 
very abundant. 
When young, fireweed is eaten with great avidity. As the season 
advances, however, the stem become fibrous and unpalatable, and 
after August 1 only the flowers and leaves are grazed, the stem being 
left quite naked. Few if any •'weeds" are more relished by sheep 
than fireweed. Horses, too, eat it to a limited extent, and cattle 
graze it ravenously. Since it begins growth early in the spring and 
is late in reaching maturity, it furnishes a much relished feed during 
the greater part of the summer grazing period. 
Wild Celery. 
Ligusti urn.) 
IAgusticum oreaanum. sometimes called wild parsnip, belongs to 
the same family as cultivated celery, parsnip, and carrot, and in the 
region studied is called both wild celery and wild parsnip. It has the 
characteristic parsnip aroma, and resembles the parsnip somewhat 
in the appearance of the leaf (Plate XLH). It should not be con- 
fused with the poisonous water hemlock, which is found in wet soils 
and is sometimes called "wild parsnip." 
"Wild celery is a smooth perennial with large aromatic, sparsely 
branched roots. The leaves are numerous, nearly all basal, and com- 
pound, being ternately (in three) then pinnateiy divided: the umbel 
is made up of numerous rays with many narrow pointed bracts sur- 
rounding the flower cluster. 
The plant is distinctly one of the Hudsonian zone. It occurs on 
all exposures and slopes, but prefers deep, loose, porous and friable, 
well-drained soils of medium moisture content. Since it does not 
regenerate by offshoots from running rootstoeks. it probably is not 
capable of forming, even under most favorable conditions, pure or 
nearly pure stands. It is most commonly associated with mountain 
bunchgrass, short-awned bromegrass, and other species inhabiting 
the better soils or glades. Its water requirements are higher than 
those of its associates. The plant wilts usually beyond recovery in a 
soil whose water content varies from 8 to 9.5 per cent. 
