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OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATIVE PLANTS OF OKLAHOMA TERRITORY AND ADJACENT DISTRICTS.
B~' M. A. CARI.KI'OS, assiHiftlit bo/(tnisl, Kal/slIs .4yl"1l'1I1IItl',,1 R.rpf'I'imf'III Stutiml.
In onler to make out allythillg' 1ikl~ a comph-tc :'ItatetHCllt of tlH' tIit'/.- tributioll and variatioll~ of the native plants of the nuovc-IIallled country, it would, of eonn.;e, be nel~el?Bal'y to survey Kystpmatirally the entire territory included, visiting each district at all seasons of' the year and taking two 01' three years of time for the purpose. Tht' fol- lowing Hotcs arl~ t.aken from a sojourll of Iet'l.s than ~ix months ill tlH' regions mentioned during tIle smnmcr of 18H1, nlthongll sevt-'ral of the districts were visited two or three times durillg the S1l11l1lwr. ][owcvel"
1 have taken IUtins to illvestigatt:~ all distdilutiolls and varia.tiolll'i of
l)]allts tllat seemed to be ill :lIIy way sig'llitica,llt, antI it i8 hoppd the
following summary of results lUay prove interesting.
I shall first give sonw notes on the plants of the diifpreut tlistL'ict.:-; of this regiou, and then direct attention to (~ertaiJl grollpR.
rfhe entire rt~giOll over which 1 have worked is approximately ilu,lnllptl
between the Arkansas and Canadi"n rivers, west of Arkansas anti t'ast, of Colorado awl New Mexieo, hnt sonw of lily lIotes will refer to the northeast portion of the Indian rret'l'itol'Y and of New J\fexieo amI til('.
Rontlle:u~t portion of Oolorado. For f'ollvcllit',lIee I (livide the whole region into tivr parts: (I) Oklahoma propel' and eastel'n I ndian 1\~1'l'i·
tory (01' the Indian 'ferritory cast of the H8th lIleridiall); (2) Wt~stC'I'lI
Imliun Tel'rit.{)I'Y (wcst of the HSth meridian), exdlHli lip: Nt) Man's I.alltl;
(3) sontll\Vl~st Kansas (that part, of' Kansas cnt otf by tile Arkallsa~
Uiver); (4) No Mall's Lantl or Neutral Strip; and (;i) Tt.xas Panilandle north of' the (Jalladiall Rivet',
OKLAII03IA I~RO"E[t A:ND EAS'J'ERN INDIAN 'l'ERRITORY.
The greater part of t.his district I have visitetI but once, alld then early in the spring, and tlH'retore call lIot 8ay much about its flora. from my own knowledge. But I believe I have made suffieicnt observatioll~
to justi(y me in expressing the Opillioll that it is ft, eOlllltI'y ill the main
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221
more espeeia.l1y aliaptctl to hortienit,lll'e, allll in S()1110 place~, pel'hn.p~,
~t.()ck-l'aisillg-. I ha,~m tlti~ o)linion partly upon the nllll:'ltmi ablllHlance
of na.tive :'Ipcdc':-:, of fruit.s ntHl partly npun tho kineI of soil pl'e."'Iellt.
Blit ot' COIll'SC tIW"4~ am nther thing's to 1.1\ t.tlwn into fL.(;counli, anll I fully admit tht~ p!)~sihility of' my beillg WI'OIlg' ill the lIlaH(}I',
I alll c:-ipodn.l1y i1wlincll tn helitwe that small fruit·s awl plllllJS and pCl'hap:.l pea·l'=-- will tlo v{ell ill tlli:-:. clistl'ii't, partic'lllarly ill tlw :-.\olltlwl'll amI C:l . ..;tcrll llort,iolls, while pl' ;I1·.Ill'~ :l,W a.I!'l·.!:Iy qltih~ SIH~t·4':..:~rlllly ;.!l'OWIl hy LlHliau:-; amI ~f(lIaw mell in the Chcl'oket, ~"tioTl. TIll' soil st~elH~
to haVtl tilt! ('!aycy eOllsisteJlt'.\' tlt~sil';lhle tell' sOllle fruits-as the plulIl-
al141 ,Yet with :-IutUdellt santi 01' gravel to allow lWt',eS",al',Y dl'aillagp.
)Iowover, native fruits ar4~ fl)ulHl ill great :tIHlIHlallc(~~ as a rule. III t·ht' Cherokee ;LlItl Ol'{\ek lLa.tiOIl~ haw", a.{'(~ extl'cltlel,Y eOlllllloll, tlwit'
hlossHllls ~i\'illg a. whitn a,I)lwarlUu'n tn the wnmis a.nd tillill~ tlH~ .t.ir
with f'ragl'allce, They illl'II1l1c Ute Slwdt~" Oral-lvf/ItS w 'fmrcxcl:II.'1 Ell,
Holltl C. touumtm'/a. L., val'. molli8 Gray, <111(1110 douht otJiCl'l'oI that I (lill Hot obs(',rn'. (1\ Ill'arly all this tli",tl'i('t t.hn tol1owing ~pecies a.rc quite
COlIIllll)H, eSl'c('ially the fil'~t 11:1l11ctl: Chicka..·mw plulll (PnuutS ChiNUW.
Ms.), the or<lill'''y wild l.hlJll (1',.,/./1"8 A.lI", .. iclI1'U Mal'shall), the wiltl
chelTY (l~nmt(.'1 8c)·olill(l. ]O;hl'h,), fllI(l I'rllllll,') f/I'Q.cili.'1 I~Hg" ;tntI Gr.; and
in the timbered portiolls of the Ronthcl'll part of t.hi:-; district uewuer·
rim! and ~trawbel'rie:-l are ~I) very alHuuiallt a~ to form extensive wild ganiens, as I ohSCI'Veli my:"lolf, both to lily pleasure in the berries they
furnished "nd to my annoy, .. ",e in the ohstl'lletion they ojf~red W the
pecleRtrian. rl'lw (~Olllmon hlackberry amt l'll!o;phCl'l'Y (Nubus ·villmwN
Ait.afl(l
R. occidentali.'1
L.) ;\·re also found (wel'ywiwl'c, all(i a low, bushyspecies of hll\ekberry
(Rub".
tri!liali., .I\h.) seems to he rather commonat Vinita.
The usual westel'll grasses thrive 'veIl, and a na.tivc spcdes of dover (n·ifoUu", Ca'roli"ia.,.",,, Mx.) is common :tt OklllUlkee, the c"pit:;1 of the Creek Nation. Another larger·headed, eiover (l'''if,,/illll' ,·efie.,uII'
lJ.) was collected in the ~onthern Seminole Nation, but did not Hecm to be very frequent.
III theeasooI'o portion s thel'o is exc'(l.lIen t. ti III her, i nd uti i II g' q IIi tc a II U III· ber of the COlUIDon o ... ks, sen~mt hit~korit·;.;, ha.l'.1 a.1HI stlft milple, ~l'e(m
aRh, the ellllg, hux deiHl', sycamore, yelluw hin ... }I, hta,ck '\o'alllut" cottnu.
wood, etc. Post oak is t~:-lI)Cdally (~(.lIIlllf.JI, Hlill makes fa.idy g'oml tim ber.
l;'al'ther WC:;twfLI'U, 4'XI'Cpt a.long st.I'pilm:o'o, till'e",t:-l arc l'cfluectl to iollllaU
gl'O\'es of gnarly" hla.ek jaek," I't~mok.ly ~eil,t.tel'e(l here and tlH'rc.
I,'rom my Hlie trip through tJH~ e.~:-ttm'n pa.rt of this (list.l'ict it was im·
ptl:-lsi[)le t.o g.tin mud. th"l'ulI~h klluwlcdgu of its timhl~l'.
WESTI,:Ulol IN1HAN '1'1·:JtR['!'Olty.
For the entire region illcltHleu in KaliSH,:; alld Inliian 'rp.l'l'it.oI'Y t.he 28th IIwridictn may he ta,keu a.~ a \'cl'y guo<l a.rbit.I'a.I'Y linc sepa/rating
t,he Great Pla.ins tlOl':l [uto all castCl'1I iLiltl Wt~stcrll l)Cctioll, liOllle·
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222
what distinct fmIn each other in the character of their predominant species. The lIatuL'al bOllllclary, it is t·rul':, \\'oulel follow a 7.ig1.ag
cOllrse, crossing this line mallY times, hilt itl'l aV/\J':tg'P eOlll'sC wonl.iHe just about on this meridian. Goillg' westwa.rd, sUt',h species a,s the 1o}·
lowing first make their appearance at this I.iuc: AHti"agalltB molliss-im,'lt8
Torr. ('4loco "), Gaillardia. pulc/wlla. Foug., JfaltlllSinnn corvin-cum Gray, Artemisia fili/olia, Torr. (" sa,gebrllsh "), A. Wi'i,qhtii Gray, etc., while others, though oceasionally found ea.st of this lille, now become morc
larg'(~ly predominant, as (]ailla,rdia lanocolalft Mx., Yucca allgustij"vlia Pl1r:-;h (" ~Iexican i'iOap-plant"), Sulanum elrea'!lnifolilw~ CaN., Et·olt·u.lu,~
argenteus Pur~h, Ule grama grasses and several of the Drop-seed gral"seH.
And so, alm{)f.lt immcllia,tely aftet' pa'lHillg the meridian ncar Kiltg-- fisher, the flora of this district begins to exhibit the distinctive ellal'-
acter common to the western Great Plains.
During the ~easoll of 18HL there was all ext'cllcllt growth of gra~Res
nearlY:111 over this diHtrid, eonsiHt,illg maiuly of the lIhte-Htems (A-It- dropo{lon prorilwifr1is Lam., A. nutans TAun" and A. lIullH Hack., v.
jlutcolu.s Haek.), interspersed throughout \vith a riel I carpet of Butlhlo grass. But the season was all exceptionally wet olle.
A very brilli>.nt eryuginm (E .. yn.qiuln d(U'U8UIII '1'orr.) gives pleasing variety in Home places to the usual monotony of this district; while there rue densely grown patches of the following species, seattert"'d here and there: Rudbeckia hirta TJ., lllonal'dtt citriodora, Cerv., llosackia Pur- shiltna. Bentll., Solanlun elreagu~foU/{,m Oav., and PluuJeolus paucijloru8 Benth. 'rile 1,t~t three are often found growing together ill prairie- dog towns, sometimes with Oallirrhoe in~'oluCt'ata Gray, and occasion-
ally Ala.-tynia proboscidca G1ox.
In the North O"lIadiall Valley .. curious velvet-tlowcrell crucifcr (Strcptnnlhu. "y(winthaide., Hook) appears as
a
.pecies rather rare in this distril·,t, s() f'a,l' a,s I ha.ve observed, a.nd on t.he south ~ide of the sa.me river, where the eOllutry i~ mudl different fL'OUl the north side, Lespedeza reticuJa,ta Pel's. iH occasionally found mingling' with the more common L. capitala Mx. 'rhen the Gyp.nm Hills have their peculiar flora, to whieh I Hhall refer again. Although the greater portion of this district will probably continue to be adapted only to the ]lractice of Htlwk-raisillg, st.ill there is no go()d reason why the eastern part may not be{~ome a fine wheat-growing country, espeeially Hillee it lies mainly south of the counties of Harper and Barber, ill Kawm:-;, which have already made a good re{~ord as a whcat-produeing regioll. Besides, the amount of rainfall, itt the same longitude, seelllH to increase toward tI;'6 south.SOlTTHWF.~T KANSAS.
Ulltil duriug the last three years the plants of this district have beeu very little known to bota,lIiRtR, and now the rC~1l1t~ of recent eollections diseluse to llS a flora rich in interesting forms, buth in the way of add-
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ing
to
onr list many species newto
Kansas, and exhibiting very strik·ingly the tran,ition from tbe eastern to the wostern ph,ins flora. Prof.
W. A. Kellerman and lIr. B. B. Smyth I"tv~ preceded me in maldng collections of tbe plants of this distriet, and reported qnite It nnlllber
of tbe species that I shall mention in thcse not,cs.
Bere we find species that woulll be wholly out of pi..,., in easoorn KansM, bnt which become very fi,rniliar to the collector in the" P"n· handle" or Neutral St"il', and which ar., invariably characteri.ti"
or
sandy barren regions.
But, going westw;>rd, ltero,'e we reach the more barren portions of the district we first find in King-man, Pratt, Barber, and Comanche eoun-
ties an extension from the Territory of the ontcropping "red beds!' Here there is not snell a contilluity of the flol'a as in the sandy I'egiulls, but there a.re certa,iu unusual forms quite local antI broken ill their range, such as the folluwing .species: OJWtropilt monticola Gray, foulltl so fa,t' only at Kingman, Ga.;/lto't( ill. 8iml}u.~x Scheele., Astraga/.UJJ bilJulca.tu8 Gra.y, Senecio J)ollglal/ii DC. a.nd .ihtcr ob/oll!lijoliu8 Nutt., var. rigitiu .. lu8 Gray. Gypsum hilb, too, are Humerous here, and are accompa.uicd uy their peculiar flora. Jun·lper//,'1 Yitgiwialla L. aud Oeltis occidentaliR
TJ.
occlir alDong these hill~, the former probably as an extension of it~
range from the Territory, rather Umn from eastern or northern KtLlIsa~.
Aside from tile plants of the "rell IIl,.]s" ;",d sandy regions, tum's at'u a few others that become familial' furms ill westerll Kn'lI!ia~, di:o\tl'iu-
uteel quite generally over the high pra.iries. Of these, besidt~s va.rious caeti, buffalo-grasses, alld the grama grasse~ (Uoutelou.a-l'a(!ClJlosa Lag-., B. oligostachya Torr. and B. /titslt.tcl, T.a!!,'., there are the t(.llowilig
~prl'ies: Lfpa.chys .T(t.{Jctes Gra.y (buth pnrplt~ and ycllow-l'aye(i fOl'm~),
Gn:i/lu.rdia. pulcheUa
}"ong.,
Engelma,nnia piwwHji(la 1.'01'1'. a!Hi Gray, Ery"i1nltnt as-pcrum DC., AstragaiHs lotUlo,·u.rt Hook .. A. molliHHimu8Torr., TpO't1UBa leptophylla 'forr., (}Jmdlterrr, Hartln'yi BOllth, etc.
Tile prevailing sunttower for all th is dist,l'i~~t. a.u~l ill fae:t fol' the entire
Al'kansas Valley of the Great l'lains, i8 IIcli""lIlIuIJ",tiolariH Nutt" al·
thoug'h H. a1l-IlU1l.'1 11. i8 quite COIUIIlO1l.
Throng-hout this district, a~ ill westerll Indian 'fel'l'itol'.\·, the most
impol'tant forage gra.sses are the hnt1',tlo-gT;t.io;s. hll1c-~t('ms. swikh g'I'iI:iS (Pmlicum 'vlqlatwn L.), amI the grama ;.rrasses. Along tll(.~ (~illln.I'l'OJI Hi\"(~r 8porobnlll.'1 (v~pfrUi}liI(H Thul'b. allll .1IIf/tl('uf)cryia. yt'w!illima, 'lIon.
are fl.lso rather commOll, o,:cnl'rin~ in tlellsP pate·hes. Olleor tJl(I \\'or~t
weeds among the gl':lsses i~ 8dl-c(imnutnlux 1'eJ.'.alllts Stt~llc1t~I, which grow:'! so thi(~kly fl'om Gray (jount,y westwa.rd a,.; to become qnit.e an
n,lInoyanee ill the tiehls, particularly ill UHlse not consta.ntlycultivutcll, ami is very pl'ovoking to the teamsters, uy g'atlH~I·jng mud on the whtJl'ls of tlw wagon after a rain.
III Seward County, the common "tumble weoo11 is lJyd%nl(l. platy- ph.llilum .:\10q. I ~aw specimens of tlli:; speeic!i 011 exhiLitioll at Al'kaloll
whieh meusureu as mnch as 3 feet across. It is COllLlllOll ill sal1dy
wastes.
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TIH'rc arc ~omf' int.crc:,;ting Bpecit'~ in the extreme southwesterB por-
tioll of this <listrid that, as far as yet kllOWIl~ :Oo\l\('lll oal'dy to ha "C cro~~etl
th(\ KallSlLs liue in their db;tribntiotl Ilorthwarcl. .. A particularly illh~I't'Ht·
iug loeality, in which ulotic HOHl(' of these Hl'twiCH have so far ut't'll fOHm} in KanH~lH, is the Point of Hocks, a series of rocky bluff's jnttiug' out 011 the north sid.', of the Cimarl'on Hiver, Jlcar thf'. 11erritory line, in
:\'lo]'to11 COUllty, at whit'll ph-WI' the he~lllql1al'h'rH of a 1l1llUUer of ('attlc IIH'II llave lWCll estahlished for sOllie time. I shnll mcntiOlI 80111(' of
these specie.s that I Hott'tl at thiH plat'e alld ill a Hw\·' other loealities.
K,'ullwria secululUfol'u DU. is l'OlllllWIl from Guthrie to Killglisliel', Okla., and westward, but, colledt·.tl ill Kallsas only at Poiut of Ho('ks, rrhc following have also been thllllli so far (lilly at Poillt of Hoeks:
Rrio!lonum lachilof1Yllullt
'r01'l'.,
Berlandh'l'll, l.'lrata, Hellth., awl J)dalo-sfemon 'niol(wclt.~ :\1 x., val'. teltuis Coulter. 'j'!w la.:.:.t onc, cle:;,eribc(l by Coulter in his Manual of the PluUlcrogT<H1I8 and Ptt'.ritlol'liyh·s of
we:.:.tCl'll 'l'exas, is • common farther SOllth awl west in "Neutral Strip
allel Texas. A singularly awarti.-'(l fi~rlll of (J';;wtlwra sarnlata, Nutt. is
ahw found at Poillt of Hod,:s, whieh is common on gypsum hill8 in ludiall rre,rritory and in Xel1tral Htrip and Panhallcl1e, hut St'en nowhere else ill Kansas. COllfolt'uluH illNWIIS VallI also hns so far 1u:'("n timmi ollly ill )lortoll COllllty, alltl Pn'fis alll/usti/oihI, Torr., awl Frauseria
di.~color Nntt. only ill Seward UOllnty, hesidcs others.
NEUTUAL STRIP (BHAVER cOnN'I'Y, OIi"LA.).
rrhis distl'if-,f exhibits more fnlly the prevailiHg' ~pe('iei'; of the south·
westm'n Great Plains. Following the Cimarroll River westward, the speeies ab-eady mentioned as barely crossing the Kansas liue first heeolUe more eomlllOIl, then other lIew spedes :tppc'ar, and finally, the va.lIeyof the OimalToll a~slimillg can Oil form, and rcaelling the mesas
tel'millating the spurs of' the moltllhLins, the tlm'a pl'Cf;cnts an appear- auec quite similar to that of eastern New Mexico and the canons of Texas Panhaudlc.
About [i0 miles up the river !'mIn ':\Iol't~)11 OOUllty, Kans., two or three spe(-ies of "tree (-,actus" are first i.HUH], also a new :Mentzelia, Jll. 1IlIlltU'ora, fj-ray, Parouyl'il.ia, scssilUiol'a Nutt., l)e,~manthus Jamesii 'rOtT. awl Oray, ~evl'l'al interesting' ferlls among tIlC mesas, a new grass,
L.IIcul'u.~ ph h:oirh's II B 1\:" ete.Besidt's, nearly aU the species found in l\[ortoll, 8tevt'lIs, and Hl'wal'cl ("mllties,l\.all~., now beeome very com-
mon.
On the divide between the Uimal'ron :llHl ~ol'th Canadian great patches of H.ljJJtellOpapJiu.~ JlavlwCf'1I8 Gray occnr, tilling the air with their pungent odor. In the same reg-ion J.Jra,qi'ostis oxylepis Torr. atHi .Mult1enbl'fflia ,qraci/lima Torr. are quite commoll, a~ well as Gaillardia pimuttUiuu Torr., alltl a variety of Chl',lIsopsis l'ill().'Uf. Nntt" while Hoff-
maniwggia, stricta Benth. grows ill patches seattered abont.
225
Of
trees,
the following were 1I(Jb.~d ill theOimnlTon
Cnnon: hack.berry, red cedar, cottullwood, alUI ~onpwood (ouJlilldttx 1U.ul'!)iwdu8
'Yilld.) j al:wa sl'peie:-; of willow (nnl'(\l~ogllizc(I), :tlul alllong the lIIe:o;a:i
a :.;mall
:;cnRitivc
plant (JIim f),'1fl. boren/ix Oray) ..A very t,l'onblc~omo weed ill till' Oimi\l'l'OIl ~'aiiolls is Tribu,lns -maxi·
'I1I-1t.S IJ. Bvcn within the I'c(~(mt, IH'gilinilll,!nf :-lcttlcuwllt.nf' t he Nellt·l'a.1
Strip thi~ plaut has spl'eall quite rapidly over tlw few ('uIt.iva.ted fidd~.
I found it gl'owill~ un the Cal'lIl of .1.
.J.
Burnett, a.t Ba.rrett. JIe told me it was already quite all aIlIlO,r:uwe.[n some pla.ces ill the l'.aliolls nwy fait· e l'Ops eall be rais(' .• l br
.
ilTilra·"
tioll from sprillg~ tiowillg out of the l1l(~saH.
'l'E'XA:-: PA:'\T1AXDLE.
Althollg-h this i8, fl, large d istdd, still [t:l.1l give only a. few lIotC:-; in regard to its itol'a, a:-l I havo miM1e but OIlC t.rip t.hrough it~ pas~illg from C1ayt.on, N. ~lcx., alollg- tho Denno!" TCXilS alld Fort "VOI'tlt ltailroad to TaHr..osa; thence down the (~a,I~loIlS of t.lu" Honth U;~lIalliali H.i vm' tu (Jaw,""
diall City, and thence nOl'thwanl along tlw Sa.nta l:"'c U,ailroaU into tlH!
Indian 'rerritory.
Grrat pOl'tioll ~ of this distrid are vast pla.ins of sand, bnt wllidl during the sca ... oll of li"\!Jl wen' cluthed with a very good ~1'Uwth 4)1' grasses, ineluding' tlu,~ hille l"tt'IllS alld a few s pecies of tlw gerwl'a,
Sporobol",.<;,
Boute/fllla, 7'l'iot/i'f, ,\1111 Panicllln. These plaill~, olll'eachingthe river, arc bi'oken up illtu rocky mt'sas, and hel'\~ the flol'a. is ratht'.r
different.
Nearly aU the cllanlctel'isLic species of the WC:-;t\'1'1l Gl'ca,t Plains, already JlH:'.lltiolltl(l as occnfl'jo~ in til l) other distrietH, are 11,180 ftlUlItl nn'l'ywhere in this district. Hlmce 1 lillall Bote ouly a few of' tho spedc.:-; Hot already lIIentiO),~(1.
The following spccieR :1,1'(1 nl1llld on t.lw salldy plains of the wt'HhWll
awl 1l01'tlH~rn l'Ol'tiOllS:Rriu!l(ntUIll a./Mum TOl'r., It- giant El'iog'OlllllU,
JllOl't~ tit all .J. ii'·d tall, common ill thn :->fllld :11111 011 rol'1.:y blufl'::I in ])a lIalli CHIlli t.r;
a
it itt 'r if/;,(l ula ntm t h., a. small bltw- tlmn 'rcd ( ; ilia, thlilid ill Ha.llam awl 1\£OOI'C eOllnti.os; PCIII.'1tI'lIWn ambi!llt/fs '1'01'1" .• wlIitc itow· (l:l'ed, ~mall, in Hartley Uon II ty; lId ill/f I II liS ci I ill riM HO., eolleded Oll J Ii gIl prai rieH ill :Mool'e Con II t,y , a TId (J If ·"If nl fl. ell ,"IJI iii rr tit Ell g-., paJ'asi tie onArt.cmillia .filif0l-ia'l'ofl'. alUl Amhl'fJxiu Il.'fito81'Itw/tY(t. DU., also in 1'.'[OHI'O
(Jonnt.y.
Along' tllC Canadillil Uaii.oll a lI11zubcr of intercsting sl'cdes were also noted. At Tascosa were f(mnd nifJtlf/!'i(~ W"riyhtii (hay, Ba.ccltal'is
Nal.if·i.lln Tu1'l'. &. (;
( ' ar,
a nd the IIIC:-i'llI it.,
J '/'''1$0})';8 j It' · Ulora no. ,
HIp. lum 1I:iof which 1\rc ll~etl by MexicI.LIlS antlilidiaus fur food. A grove of this last species was a1so lIoted in tll(, Cheyelllle and Arrapa,hoe l't~~ervation,
about 12 miles 1I0ri1least of CU-lltOIlIlIl?lIt. It is fl1so ca.lIed serCfC·
hea . ."., amI is qaito commOH over the HOHthwc~t. A eadm; (OpUlitin.
leptocaufil'j DU.), with very line·lookillg fl'llit, wa:"l also colledcu
a.t
226
Tasc()s", 'file fl'llit is hrilli,,,,t red, ,,",1 at a distance looks likc f!owero, It furnh~hcs an acid juice tha.t is quite refl'c~lting t~) the tired tn~\·elcl'.
Bouteloua criopoda Torr. ~l'OWS in ahulldanec Ilear 1'ascosa. At Calla·
dian City a splendid ma]vUrceoll:-i plaut (lI-ibiNcuR lm;;;OCGI"j)/I,'1 (Jay.) ito;
common in the Ca,na/dian Yaney (which hero IOHes its eafiolllofrn) i also
Asclepius 1:ncarnata L. var. longijulia Gr:LY wns collected in t.he K;H1W looality,
Olle of tbe foxt.'\iI8 (Setaria glallc" Ileanv,) forms" good part (If Uw
bay in the CatHldi:LIl Va.lIey, and is (lolIl'\iclerell to he of good quality.
The buttou l.mslt (Cephala.nthuB ocddf!nlttlis !J.) is a ,'cry (~OUlIll(l1i
shrub in this valley and along strealll~ in wcstCI'JI IllIliall Territol'Y.
This district is, on the whole, nne va,st (O,attle rang-e, with a fe\y (~1I1-
tivated fields in the Canadian canolls, watered by :-lPrlllgs in tho )UCl:iU:-l.
PLANTS CHARACTERISTlC OF SAriOY RI':G-HI~K .
•
Having given ~ome attention to t,he di:4l'ilmtioll
or
plilllt~ for severalycar~, I ha.ve bceoJllc espccially interested in the rad commonly kIlO"'"
that certaiu plants arc usually m~sociate<l with particular :-\oils and cli-
mates. However, I can not hope to givo anything uew ill this line,
exm~pt in so far as I m;l,y be able to present some additiullal nbsel'va- tions, that may be of intcrc.,t., tj'um a study of tbe tlllra of the abu\'e districts,
It I" .. , beell noted by IIc,,"'y "II obse,'vc,'s,
r
supposc, who h,we b",1opportullity, that the plauts of sanely 01' desert r(':ginns .u·o us ua,lIy, and unifol'mly, pl'Otef'.ted aga.inst rapid tl'anspil'atioll by thick(~ned
leave~ and epidermis, IlbseTwe or narrowness of leaves, or an unllsual amount of wooliness or hairiness. Now, as 011e would expect, we timl
Buch cl",m..teI'B commollly belongillg to the SIIl",ic., prevailillg ill tl ...
\V(\sterH Great P1ains. Of nOlll'se the Groat Basin alld other regioliM
farther west and south tl.n.n these distriet!4 that have CtI1lU~ more illl1Rt'- di"t<lly undet' my own obsermtiolls ,,"ollid Ill'obably furnish "till bcttcr examples of this peculiarity in pla.nt, distrilmtioll j but va.l'iou!o; CiI'CIlIII- RtancC8 do not permit me to include allY notes UpOll thuHC l'egiuu8, nlthough J have been over a portion of t·be Hr('.at Basill,
It h~ parti(~nlarly interesting to tra.ce t,he gradually im'rl~a~illg tcntl-
('lIey to :l.HSUnW these protective charactprH 011 the part of t.lwoSc li}meicH inhahit.ing' both tlw ca:o;tern awl westCI'1I portioll8 of till' (trca.t Pla,ills ill their flistl'ihution wc.'stwarfl. 'rite ver~' ('omllloll t'\'(~lIill~ Primrose
«HIlOt/WfU. HtJfI'u/uta N nt.t.) fUl'liishcs ,a. A'Hod illll:-iLm.tiuli. I h:we !;Con Kpedmt',IlM of this :-;llC(~im" in t~t::iUlrn IndbLIl 'l'(~lTitory growing' 1Il0l'e Utan 2
teet
tall, with ttowcr~ lIearly 2 inehe~ acruss, while in Pall hall-die, 'l'~xas, Neutral Strip, and at l)oillt of Rot:ks, Kan~., it b e l'OIlH.'S
pe(~nlial'ly dwarted, often not more tha.n Ii inches tall, with Howers little more than half an inch a.cros~, amI t.he leaves and bralH'liclS be- conw. mOl'e whit,isll, m'LJ'l'ower, alld yet tilkkcr, awl tlw 1~lltil'e pla.ut
IHorl~ lDasliivc in l)rOl)()rtioH to il.s height. Bct\\'(!l.m tlll~e (~xtrclllC."I iu-
227
tcrmediatc tbl'ms call be traced. ChrYNOpftis rHlosfl, Nutt. amI Aplo-
pappus spinuloHus DO. are well known to be qnite varia.ble, but their variations. to the eastward and we~tward e~pedan'y, willncarly always be toun<l to be in the liue of a gl'catt'l' or ll'~:-l pn>sell(~e of protective eharaderR. Of the fhrlller, the vcry na.mes of many of tIle descriued va.riet,ie.s ought
to,
a1ld do, indicatethc:-;(\ faets, :-me}1 as canCHCl'lt.V, kispiria,roliosa, stenoph,ljlla,l'i.w·i (/a ,. ('te., w h i In tIt t'l'(' art' i 1111 UJ nera
u
Ie i II term c-(1iah~ t(n'lII~ Hot worthy of vaript,,! r:lIIk. Riddd/iu t((.'I':tilla, ~ntt. be-
(~ome8Imll'h more woolly farther westward. :UHl/~'nfldmanl/in pinnat{fidn
'l'ol't'. o.ll(l Oray mOl'e hairy !ITIII sOIIlt\what dwal"t(~(1.
l~esides (//t.r,llHO]llJi."i rilloNrt XlIt,t. a 1I11111bcl' of other species bc{'omc foo;O lIloditit~(1 a~ to prodw,t" (list.illet v:tl'it,.tie:-;. 1'l'fuloNfemon t'i(Jlflt'r~1t8
l\1x. ehallge:-; into it:-; Ilw:tl'fpd but :-;t.olltel" val'iety ft'UIf;.\{ Co II Iter. O.ry- bflphu8 uliotagilU'lu.· Sweet, he(~Olllillg' more anti more hauy, finally pro·
Illlees the v<Lridy IlitO.liltN (jl'ay (B<ll'llcL' Ctllillty, KaliS.). ()nwtlrcra lIarftrc!J,i .Bellth. lJt~eOllle~ the variety l((.ll(,lltiulu:/(lliff. \Vat:-;., dwarfed alltimore hairy, alHI.·hfer ofJlOIl-[JU'uliUN Nutt. gives plaee to its dwarfe(l but 8tOUtt~1' amI more I'i~itl variet,y rig-idulu8 nray .
• Jm.,t so, speeies with thit'kenetl 01' hairy epidermis alld fleshy, narrow leaves take the place of other species of the same g'cnllS Hlrthcr west-
warrl in the fIt<llldy or dt~sert reg-ions, SOOIl atlt~r passing the noStlt
nwritiian we find ANtraI/aluN uwlli,'1°,liiIllU.\f 'ron. awl.lL. [otijforu."i Hool.;:, taking the place of other spede:-; of' the genus, and they finally hecome the dominant aHtr:lg'ali of' Houthwe:-;t Kansas. These speeies are well known to be quite lmiry. In my own experience the latter species is almost invariably the only one of the gem!s fOUlHI in sand hills. AN·
tragalu8 pf?dinatus DongJ. and A.pictu.'; Gray, v<lr.,lil{lolius Gray, sp(wies with very narrow or fillely dissected leaves, and A .. Parr,lli Gmy,;t very hairy spccics, ullom bccome qnitc common, esp(~eia.lly in eastern
Colorado. Lepachys 'PIl,yctcs Gray beeolllcs flomillant ill place of L.
colu.mnarlN '1'orr. and Gray in extreme southwestern Kam;;as, and OX.lJlm.·
1'llus IIi'o"iutuN Sweet replaces largely the other oxrhnphi in the Neutral Strip. (laura rillosa Torr. already heg'ills to replaee other gauras in
Haud ldlls at U·uthrie, Okla., and bp(~om('s f}nite eOIllTIIOII fartlwl' wpst·
ward. Solaltum clwayn{lolium (Jav. he('omes the dOllli lIaHt memher of its genus in southwest KUlIsas and Xetttml Strip. It has very much t,hick-
elH~d whitish woolly le:tveR and epidermis. It also takes tile place of Solanum rONtrutulIl Blllial in flll'lIishill~ footi fol' g"l'eat Illunhel's of the
C~)lorado potato bedJe ill Barbel' COllllty, KaliS. ()r:not/wrf£ alblr:aulis Nutt., with spun;ity of leavcs alHI much-thickened stem and leave8, amI
(J,>. pillnafijidu. Nutt., with finely divi(led leaves attll hairy all over, be·
cOllie eOllllllon in place of others of thiH genus in south west Kansas and sonthwestwal'd. (}(J.illardia -pimuttijida Torr., almost before one recog·
nizes the funt, appears in plaee of G .. puh~hr:lla Fong., aR the two Hpecit~s resemble each other very mueh, hut, tlJe tOT'mtw iH really mOI'e a.shy pubescent, with leaves llsually more finely tlividml. ..tlrtemi:rin filifolia
•
228
Torr. a.1Id
it.
lVl"ighfii Gray J'cl'laee other artcmisias, and 1)alm namlrrOl'l'. awl
n.
/allfltu Spreng. are fOlllld ('.omlllon ill pla('{': of other 111('111-bel's of t.hat gellll~. AU of t.hese have either fillely di.s:..:ected leavc~ 01' great woolliness, or both.
Of tht\ sf'.dges ('lII}(~ru,o; S(,'/1rf'illit,~-ii rrOI'l'. sCCTllS to he tlIt, most eom·
mOil in :o;alllly wastes. From wllat I am ahle to it'nrH from otlWf sonl'('l's,
howl~ver, it is it siweics that SPI'IIlH to he qnite g't'Ilf'rally distribute,l cvel',Ywlwre. In this eonllf'etioll it may hl'of interest to Ilote a tliffen'Hee in habitat het,wPt~1I e,lJpan,o; 8c1w'f'init.::ii Torr. awl C. lloll,Qhtolli TOlT., which two spcci('s have only l'l~('ellf,]'y heell spparat(\(l by Dr. 1ll'iUon.
(BlIllt'till rl'orl'. Bot. Olub, vol. xviii. p. an:-\.) I IlCIn~ lIott'l] both SI)(wit'~
ill mallY plat'os all over the Sonthwc:->t, antI, while tilt' former is qllite COllllllOlI ill sandy wastc:->, I ImH\ IICVPI' Ollt'P Botpil C. Houghtolli in suell IOl'alitins.
noutclo,,{( Mrsuta Lag. is the domillillli g'l'illll<l grass ill the ~elltral
Htl'ipj and in west,'rll Texas a!Hl casteI'll :New :\Iexieo the" bl<lek gl'<lma" grass, B. cr-iopoda Torr., lw('omes qnite eOIIIIllOIl. Of the ferns Cltdlanthes Lindltcimeri Hook. is a. goo,l example of a characierh;tic
western form. It is extremely villous to tomentose, found growing'
ill abmulanee amollg the roeks of the IIlCS;l:-; ill tllP Cimarron caliOlis.
To name aU other spedcs ('ltaractel'istie of thest', sautIy I'egioll:-;, taken at. random fi'om val'iow.; g·et!eI'H .. allli ortiel's, w01l111 l"Pqllire a lOllg list"
wbieh wouM probably be both IU'edle:-;:-; awl Iluilltel'l\sting". HmH'c 1 slmll name ollly a few of the JIlo:-;t. :-;t,l'ikillg' t'xamplps: HcUotropi-mn
('onl'ol'l'ttlac('um (~l'ay, a. Rpceic8 coveretI with still; a)lIHT~~sed hairR, whieh I ha.ve invariably found growing' in almost pure sauel; Rc({tiddia
tiC,"UOHO Vasf':Y, a g'l'a:-;:,; with :,;ICllti(,l., rig'iti 1cavl's, :-;l't~lIlillg1'y restricted CVl'n to 'ilJlow ollt~" ill t-ihles of K,uHl hills; DiJ}/fu'lillt' rifJida VaSley, a.
gra:-;s having', as the Harne i1l1plies, a very-rig-ill, thh'.kellcd stem all(I a,
few short" narrow, rigid lea \·cs; Hym('}Wl)((JJ]JUH jlo 1.·CHaIlS Gray, a spc('ies
whit.t~ t1l1l1pnto~(', COlllmon ill southwest Kall~as HlHl Neutral Strip;
_Pl'ttmwrirt tliHcolor Nutt., hi:-;pid hairy, in Hewanl (~Ollllt.y, Kall~.; !)ol.llp, tcrix T(',rana Gray, Aplopappu.s rul)iyilHnnlH 1'01'1'. ,lIltl Uray, illltl A, dirar~
i('t/tUH G ray ~ all viscid-pnbe~ccll t. or woolly, with 1':1 tht'l' lIanow lea yes;
Kr!/nitzkia ./a'J)U'sii Gra.y, amI 1(. cra.'tNi,'1C1Ullu U ray, both cxtrclIll'ly rough, hisl)id, 01' tomclltmw, in sonthwest Kallsas anti southwestwflrd;
1~ycllruH _l,hlt'oir/t's lIBK" a. grass :-;o1l1ewhat similar in texture to the g"1':tma gTa~:-;es, iHIIOn;! the mesas in "Neutral Strip; Portulaca pilOlm IJ.,
tlOllllllOll in the Pallll:llld1e HIli I ill HilIHly wastes at 'Vichita., KaIlH.;
B i,'wutd fa 1 rf",lizell i Bt\nth. a II d II ook., a f lell :-;e]r woolly ('I'll t'if'(~r, common ill t1w PaJlhallcllt· and "HIIHI ill ~ollthwl'f;t Kall~a:-;: Rl'ioyrnnun a-nnuum
Nutt.., R.
ala,tu1II'ron., N.
f,1l'11It0fl./IIIUJIl 1'411'1' ..N . .
/alltl'sii Benth., illfact~ lIt'al'ly all the ('l'iOg'OlltlIlIH of tll(' (i:1'('at PllIillR, all pnhf'f;('(',lIt to denst'1y tOlllcntosc, with fmv 1I,IITOW h'a\'t's; h(':-;id('~ all tlill various
cadi, with tJe:-;hy stems :nul no ]pt!ves; tilP IIH .. ~lIty.('lia:-;, with rough,
thickelleu lca\'t~s alld hani stems; the al'i::;tidas, :st.ipa~, yuccas, etc.
22!l
It would seem to be a logi"al eOllclusion frolll the above fads that allY species introduced into cultivation fo[, nse as forup:e plants, in t.hese de:-;ert regio1Js, ought to POSSPKK the:-;c same eharaetel's protecting thelll against. too rapid transpiration if t.1lCl'C is to he a1lY hope at all of succc:-;s without irrigatioll. 81wh gI":lS~(,K as F-niola, latifola lHx.,
or the ('nt-gTu,:-IS, Lc(:rxia f!1'.'1;;'()irlc,~ ~\Yartr., for instalH'e, wouhlmake utter failures. "Fol'tnllatcl,Y the piallts pl'opel' for such reg-iom; ean lIsnal1y be fOUJlIl among tIJ(' natin~ spet'ies, but if they rnusi he intro- dueed from ahl'OlHI tht'y should ('cl'tainly be selected ti'om places similar ill soil awl climate.
"""hile th(', buffalo Hnd grama grasses will pl'obably contilllle to be, for general purposes, the maiw.;tay of the \Vestern r:mcbman, at lea:-;t
fi)l' many Yl'ars to ('Ollie, still it seelllS proper to note lll"l'e a few other
~peeies that might be introlltwed illto ennivatioll with :snccess by the fannel', e~pedally ill t1w lowcl' lalllh; alld river valleys, awl that ought to l'l'ce.iyc a tllOrollgh test hy Ollr 'Vestel'll experiment :statiolls. '),he
Ullitpd 81.at('s graRs statiml at Gal'ilPIi City, Kalls., has pl'obably
a11'ead~r made a trial of some of thc:-\p species that I shall melltion, hut 1 think not nil of thplII.
Oolorailo bi'IU?-joiut (A!/J'op,IIJ'I/J1I f/Ir/l/('um R, and H.).-This is a very eommon species in sout hern Colorado :11111 ill ~ cutm I Htl'ip alltl extreme western Kansas. It l1Iake:-; t'Xtellelll hay, and i:-; 01W of the most valued grasses in the OiIllHI'I'OIl eallOll:-;. lIow rar it ha:-; hC('1l tested ill ('Illti-
vation I do lIot know, althongh I W<l;'; illfol'lllC(1 that a I'au('lilllau of southerll Colorado hall })l-()(lueetl a vt'l',Y gootl lIu'allow from the seed obtuinccl from a KlllaU plat l'aist~tl tht' year befol'c.
Broom gros."l (Andropogon ,I((f('C/WI'Oif/f'."I Swartz, and yarietie~).-A
rallchman at Garrett, 01da., eal1~ this awl the following" :.;peeies t.he best grasscs they have in the ('illlarroJl eafioHs, anti others have made RiIlliIar statcmellt.'1. It is willel.\-' llill'H~ecI all over the Houthwest, from ":idlita anti GlItlll'ie \H'stwal't!, Imt Hot very alnmdallt, although
il1el'ea~illg in HlmndaJl('e WI'stwa1'(},
I'ollie flrU."IN (lJan iculIl obtww'm IIBK.).-Sofar m; 1 know, thiR graHs
IJ:l~ ncvpr yet ('\'en bl'ell mcntiollPd as Oil(' worthy of eultivatioll; hut.,
aH far as it:-; hping rclishp(l hy stock i;.; eOlH'Cl'llt'tl, expericlIec poillts it out as all cxeel1cnt grass, both tin' hay ami graziII g. Its actual lllltl'i, tivc value, of course, would have to b .. (h,termiued by chemical analy.
SiR. It affords a fair supply of fo1ingp. large spikt') .. ts which ougllt to fUl'nish gm)(l sCt'd, matures rather early, awl ~e('III~ wP11 adapted to tILe riv('l' valleys of tIlt' PlaillH. It I'allgl'~ frolll Killgtisher westward, l,e, ('oming' ratller l'OllllllOn in the Ncukal Strip.
Hall's b,.oom grass (And"ol'ogon Hallii Hack., and varieties).-'l'his
is quite stemmy, but fnrnishes good grazing and, if cut young, pro- duces a goofl qnality of hay. I t i~ IIIlH'h like Ute common blue-stem
(Audropogon .1J1'orhwiaIis Lam.), am1 is quite frequent in cations as
well as on uplands.
-
230
Switch gro88 (l'aniclIm l'il"galu1II L.) i. ,,1'0" common and well- kuown grass ill the cafiOllS. The valuc of tlli~ grass tor bay is ai8() increased by carly mowing. It. is ca.lled a vcry good forage plant by the l'anchmcn.
l'cllm~ J()J:ta.il. (ijettJria gitWt'O Hcall\'.).-Tlu.~ l'allc~hlllcU in the Sout,1t Ca1ladian t~;,iious c~all t.his a. very g-oml g-l·af.;~ rul' ha.y. I have see·ll them nwwilJ/.( it in cOlIsid.'ralllu 4ualltit.y. Jt is rathc!' (;omlllon there. It may possihly tW('JIl the 1I10re vaillable ~illlpJy UCCilI18t.: there is a luck of ot.hm' gooll t-\pct'il\S.
I'Li\N'I'~ CJIARAC'I'EIU~'I'IC OF Uyp:-:t')( HILLS.
It BCI\I1l~ te) be pretty weH 1l1ldel'stO(H 1 that tho lllealtiII g' or t.he Iwlian word OklalHIlIl<l is" home ()f the red Pilrtll" (Okla=l'cd, hOIll:l=hollle);
whidl, if tl'llt\, lIIake~ it a Vl~l'y appropriate 11:1111(', silll.:e a Jal'g'c portion of the Indian 'l'elTitory north ot tile Sout.h Ualladiall Rin~r is plainly
di:-;t.ilth'1.tishefl by ollt.(·l'(.)pping "r('cl hetil"," which al~o extend north·
ward iut., Ual'lH'l', Pratt, (Jom,lIH'lw, alld Kingiliall connties, K:,,"s.
~()W, ~y"$lIm ;mel ~alt are al~t) assut'iatcci with the ;, refi heds,» onto (.'l'HPJ.iug' at, till' ::\lIl'fat:e ill the t4)1'111 of A'Yl'sHin hills and &101t ma.r~hes,
c;;;pctinlly ahmr;- tlw valley uf the (JillllllatTOII and ill ccutral Ka.ltsa~.
'fhe gYIHillln dt'posits, being a lit.tle hardeR' than the slll'rollllding 8OiI~
have he~1I left, Rt'IIHlillg hy t.1le l'-l'mlillg' uet:ioH of :4reams until they llave bel:omn very ]lrominent hilh,~ in SOIllO p);H:CR fOl'lIliug what are called glass mountains, from the ~li8tellillg appconam:e of the mica·like gypsum covering their sides.
All th(l.f.\n K\'p~nlll hi11s invariably have their dllll'actel'i~tic pla.nts.
'l~he special charactel's of the 1'1unU-l are very mtwh the same as those ot the plallt, of "a lilly ... ·ginll<. This is explailled hy the fad that t1,cy have tn (:ollt.end with the sallie general adversities of environment-a
dry, gravelly ~oil. from which the water is rapiclly (il'nilwd away through the .ides of t.he hilis.
At the summits of these hilh.;, nca.r King-thdmr, Okla., e('rtaiu sIIPc.iC'8
;lru found wbidl do not oC('Ur ill the SlIlToHlH.lillg' lowol' eouHtry within
no l'adill8 of lOO miles, t;.O far at.; my expcl'ieIH~p. g(H~S. Of tlH'~e, TlitideUia taflct-ina Nutt. is oue of t,he mo...,t 00111111011, fUlinel Oil various hills along the Cimarron River. The dwarf form of Ocnolltf>ra H(·J·,·u.lata Nntt., al- ready Iuciltioned, is aloo quite UR COmIllCIJI, m~ well as Or. Harttc.egi Henth., Gll1t·,'a villosa. 'J'OlT" Yucca. an,quNti/u/it' Purs/t, GiNa lon.gijfora
DOli., j1fclllzeli(1" n'!lda Torr. and Gr ... y, and Ill. ofifJOI~perm" Nlltt., are fre'JI,ent on gypsulII hills frolll Cal<lwell to
nlt ..
her Cnullt,.y, Kans. Port-ulaca. pilOR" L. occurs 011 similar hills in the CIH'wkeo Outlet, Illd. T.
The following specips 1 have not. ~epn in other InCIl,lities than gypsum lIms: L~Hqlwrella graciliH 'V:tt~" Nama d(·mi.<lsll'm Ora.", anti AstragaluR
lIIhtrololntJf Gray, in Cherokee Outlet, and O.xyb(lphus ngetllfliHl'us Sweet, var. piioRUR (tray, in Barher Cunnt.r, Kans. 1 Rl1l1PUt'P, however, they may he lound, ill other places. They are uot vcry common, and this
