54 
Colorado Experiment Station 
may be given in doses as follows: For sheep, 1E2 grains; for cattle 
and horses, 3 to 5 grains. For horses or cattle, 2 drams of chloro¬ 
form or I ounce of chloral hydrate may be given, highly diluted, by 
the mouth. If the permanganate has already been given, other drugs 
should not be given by the mouth. 
Cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) (fig. 76).—This is a stout 
plant, 4 to 8 feet tall, with large compound leaves that are divided 
into three main lobes. The base of the leaf-stalk.is very much broaa- 
ened. The flowers are white and in broad umbels. The fruit re¬ 
sembles that of common garden parsnip. It grows in wet ground, 
especially along streams, throughout the state from 5,000 to 10,000 
feet altitude. 
The cow parsnip may sometimes be confused with the tall an¬ 
gelica (Angelica ampla) (fig. 75). This is a plant from 5 to 8 feet 
tall, but is distinguished from the cow parsnip by its purplish stems, 
and leaves which are twice compound. 
The cow parsnip is found in situations similar to those in which 
water hemlock grows. It can easily be distinguished from the water 
hemlock, however, by its much greater size, and coarser character. 
Because o'f its coarseness, it is not often eaten and is not presumed to 
be poisonous. 
AMERICAN OR SWAMP LAUREL (Kalmia polifolia) 
The forms o'f the American or swamp laurel (fig. 77) growing 
in the Colorado mountains are dwarfed as compared with the east¬ 
ern ones. With us it is a low, smooth shrub, 8 to 20 inches tall. The 
leaves are evergreen, shiny-green above, paler beneath, the margin 
often rolled in. The flowers are U inch broad and lilac-purple in 
color. The plant grows in mountain bogs, seldom below 10,000 feet 
elevation. 
Poisoning by szvamp laurel. —Colorado stockmen generally know 
very little of swamp laurel as a poisonous plant. This is probably 
accounted for from the fact that it grows only on the very high 
ranges, where relatively few animals graze. It is much dreaded in 
some sections, however. 
vSMALL DOGBANE ( Apocynum androsaemifolium) 
This plant (fig. 78) has a milky juice. It s^rows from i to 5 
feet tall, and has widely spreading branches. The opposite leaves 
are tipped with a very short abrupt point. The flowers are pink. 
The plant grows in shaded situations thoroughout our range, from 
an altitude of 7,000 to 9,500 feet. 
Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannahinum). —Like the preceding, 
this plant (fig. 7 q) has a milky juice. The stems are 3 to 6 feet tall, 
and branching'. The leaves are opposite and tipped with a short abrupt 
point. The flowers are greenishJ-white. It grows at lower altitudes 
throughout Colorado. 
Poisoning by dogbane and Indian hemp. —Several representa¬ 
tives of the dogbane family contain active alkaloids which are used in 
