CoivOf.i^DO PlanTvS Injurious to Live:stock 63 
short branches spring. These bear green, narrow leaves, i or 2 inches 
long, the whole tuft becoming at length several inches h’gh, and finally 
producing in June, a considerable number of large, white, daisy-like 
flowers with a yellow center. If the leaves be examined it will be found 
that they usually bear a considerable number of yellowish or brownish 
spots caused by a fungus.” 
The plant begins to leaf out about May i, and to blossom about 
June I. It grows upon gumbo cla3^s such as are frequently found about 
lakes and ponds. 
Poisoning by zvoody aster. —This plant is looked upon as the most 
disastrous plant for sheep in Wyoming. In Bulletin No. 88 of the 
Wyoming Experiment Station, the statement is made that stocknifen 
estimate their losses at 14.6% and: ‘Tn terms of the last assessment 
valuation of sheep in Wyoming, ths means an annual loss oif more than 
$3,000,000. Sheepmen who have followed the business for the past 
ten years estimate that of the total losses noted, 60-70% have been 
caused by poisonous plants, and the remainder by coyotes. ” This 
bulletin summarized the investigation o'f woody aster partly as follows. 
1. The woody aster has been proven to be poisonous to sheep. 
2. The woody aster grows only on alkalied gumbo-clay soils, and 
but for the one recorded season, is always heavily infested with the 
fungus. Pnccinia xylorrliPar. The presence of the fungus may add to 
the poisonous character of the plant. 
3 . Ninety to one hundred percent of the animals affected die. 
4. Aster poisoning is characterized b}^ lassitude, difficult respirat¬ 
ion, muscular weakness, bloat, and 'final prostration. 
5. Duration of illness: from a few hours to several da\^s. 
6. d'rcatment; purely symptomatic and none uniformly successful. 
7. IVevention; avohl aster patches. 
SNEEZE WEED 
The name “sneezeweed” is applied to several species, the principal 
ones being Helenium autumnale and Dugaldia hooperii. 
Helenium autmnnale (fig. 90) is a perennial, erect herb i to 3J^ 
feet tall. The leaves are lance-shaped, slightly toothed along the 
margin; they clasp the stem, their lower edges being continuous with 
two wings that run down the stem. There are numerous yellow 
flowers of the sunflower type. The plant grows in wet ground and 
has been reported from a few localities in the state. 
Dugaldia hooperii is a stout plant i to 3 feet tall, woolly-hairy, 
especially above. The stem is leafy, the leaves spatula-shaped, and 
3 to 4 inches long. The flowers are of the sunflower type, and yellow 
in color. The plant is found in the mountains from 7,000 to 12,000 
feet throughout the state. 
Poisoning by sneezczvccd. —Sneezeweed contains a narcotic 
poison, and cattle, horses and sheep are no doubt occasionally poisoned 
bv it. Dr. Chestnut sa3^s: ‘'The fine-leaved Sneezeweed has been re¬ 
ported from several of the Gulf states, where it is a troublesome weed, 
fatal to horses and mules. It is not known to what extent cattle may 
