The tongue of the ox is often variably pigmented. The root and body are
wider than that of the horse, but the free part is more pointed. The
posterior part of the dorsum forms a remarkable elliptical prominence,
which is sharply defined in front. The filiform papillæ in front of this
prominence are large and horny, with sharp points directed backward.
They impart to the tongue its rasp-like roughness. The papillæ on the
prominence are large, broad and horny; some have a blunt conical form,
others are rounded or flattened. Behind the prominence, the papillæ are
long and soft, _i. e._, not horny. The fungiform papillæ are numerous
and distinct; they are scattered more generally over the dorsum and
edges of the free part. The vallate papillæ are about twenty or thirty
in number; they are smaller than those of the horse, and are irregularly
distributed on either side of the posterior part of the prominence of
the dorsum. The foliate papillæ and the lingual fibrous cord are absent.
The muscles are well developed; the hyo-glossus arises by additional
portions from the great and middle cornua of the hyoid bone. The tongue
is highly protractile and is the chief organ of prehension.