24 
BULLETIN 1245, U. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
oval leaves and small white flowers in erect racemes, as shown in 
Plate XXVII, and grows to a height of about 3 or 4 feet. It is 
found in small patches at elevations from about 3.500 to 5,000 feet 
in the northern Sierras in California. While far from common, it 
is yet a very important plant because of its extremely toxic char- 
acter. It has been stated that a single leaf will poison a sheep. 
This statement is probably exaggerated, but experimental work 
shows that very small quantities will poison sheep and that death 
may be produced by between 1 and 2 ounces. 
' The prominent symptoms are salivation, nausea accompanied with 
vomiting, depression, weakness, and irregular respiration. Figure 
20 shows a slightly poisoned sheep. 
Ledum glaxdulosum. 
Ledum glandulosum, 
illustrated in Plate 
XXVIII, is also known 
in California as black 
laurel and probably is 
not generally distin- 
guished fro m Leu- 
cot Jim davisice by the 
sheepmen, although it 
has a very different 
habit. It is r a t h e r 
widely distributed, 
being found not only 
in the Sierras and 
coast ranges in Cali- 
fornia, but also in 
Oregon, Washington, 
Xevada, and the Rocky Mountains. While no experimental work 
has been done with this plant, there seems to be no question that it 
causes serious losses of sheep in California. 
Fig. 20. 
-A sheep poisoned by black laurel (Leucothoe 
davisiw), showing salivation. 
Rhododendrons albiflorum. 
Rhododendron albiflorum, illustrated in Plate XXIX, is common 
in the mountains of the Northwest and has undoubtedly caused some 
losses, although it is not very generally recognized as a poisonous 
plant. Preliminary experiments apparently show that it is more 
poisonous than Menziesia, but less so than the black laurel. Lo«es 
from this plant have been reported from the Columbia National For- 
est, in Washington, and from the Routt National Forest, in Colorado. 
White Laurel (Azalea occidentalis). 
The White laurel {Azalea occidentals) is illustrated in Plate 
XXX. It is found in the coast ranges and the Sierras, growing at 
a slightly lower level than the black laurels, and causes considerable 
losses of sheep. 
