IMPORTANT RANGE PLANTS. 47 
It is an erect smooth perennial plant from 1 to 3 feet tall, with 
square stems and opposite, petioled leaves, the margins coarsely and 
irregularly toothed. The flowers are clustered in a dense terminal 
spike, the corolla pink-white or sometimes light purple. The root is 
coarse, fibrous, woody, and rather spreading (Plate XLV). 
Horsemint is widely distributed. It is met with occasionally in 
the Transition zone, and is abundant in the Canadian and Hudsonian 
zones. Though occurring but sparingly in the upper altitudes of the 
latter zone, it is of considerable value for forage up to 8,000 feet. 
The best development and densest stands are found in loose soils 
of medium moisture on the glades in the upper Canadian and lower 
Hudsonian. While it often predominates over associated species in 
the better and moister soils, it almost always grows in scattered 
stands, especially in shallow, coarse, gravelly clays. 
The flowers begin to form about July 10, but all are not expanded 
as a rule until August 20. Fertilization is largely effected through 
insects, mainly bees. The two-lipped corollas drop soon after 
fertilization. 
Matured seeds are usually found by the last week in August though 
the entire crop is rarely ripened until about September 10. The 
matured, brownish-black, plump, hard-coated, oval seed-like nutlets 
are not disseminated at once, but are readily expelled when the seed 
cluster is vigorously shaken, shooting out some distance from the 
parent plant. For a high-range plant the germination power of the 
seed is about the average. In 1908 and 1909 representative samples 
gave an average of 16 and 28.5 per cent, respectively. Where tins 
species is given a chance to reproduce, i. e., on ranges where the seed 
crop is allowed to mature prior to grazing, reproduction is taking 
place, though sparingly. The actual amount of seed produced per 
plant is relatively small, and since only about one-fourth is fertile 
the species is succeeding as well as might be expected. 
Horsemint begins growth early in the season and matures late 
and consequently is relished by stock at all times during the summer. 
Both sheep and cattle eat it with much relish, though sheep graze it 
with greater avidity. Horses eat it only to a limited extent, and it 
can not be considered of value for this class of stock. Until the 
flowering parts begin to drop the entire cluster is consumed, so that 
early in the season the whole plant is eaten. After about August 10 
only the leaves are grazed. Since younger leaves remain green some 
little time after seed maturity, horsemint is preferred in the fall of 
the year to some of the more valuable grasses and forage plants. 
Blue Beardtongue. 
{Pentstemon procerus.) 
About 100 species of Pentstemon are found in the United States 
and Mexico, many of them of value for grazing. Blue beardtongue 
