

218 BOTANY OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. 



Dead plants of a Chloris, undoubtedly belonging to this species, were seen in the 

 ditch at Furnace Creek Ranch and at the old borax works 3 kilometers farther north. 



Phragmites vulgaris (Lam.) FI. Fr. iii. 615 (1778), under Arundo; B. S. P. Cat. 

 PI. N. Y. G9 (1888). Type locality European.' 



The reed is of frequent occurrence in the desert marshes. It was found in a 

 canon ou the northeast side of Lone Willow Peak; along Furnace Creek; at Sara- 

 toga Springs; at various points in Resting Springs Valley; at Nine Mile, Twelve 

 Mile, Mountain, and Vegas springs, along the road between Pahrump and Vegas 

 valleys; in the Vegas Wash; at Corn Creek, Vegas Valley; in Johnson and Willow 

 Creek canons, Panamint Mountains; at Hot Springs,. Panamint Valley; and at the 

 eastern end of Tehachapi Lake. We did not meet with the plant in the Tulare 

 Plains, and in the desert it was confined to the Lower Sonoran zone. 



Sieglingia pulchella (H. B. K.) Nov. Gen. & Sp. i. 155 (1815), under Triodia; 

 Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. ii. 789 (1891). Type locality, "in subfrigidis, siccis, apricis 

 regni Mexicani inter Guanaxuato, Mina de Belgrado et Cubilente, alt. 1050 hexap." 



Found at several points in the Lower Sonoran zone growing on mountain slopes. 

 Specimens were collected in the southern part of the Funeral Mountains (No. 258) 

 and in the valley of the Virgin River (No. 1906). 



Eragrostis purshii Schrad. Linnaea, xii. 451 (1838). Type locality, "America 

 bor[ea.Ii]." 

 Furnace Creek Ranch (No. 244.) 



Melica stricta Boland. Proc. Cal. Acad. iii. 4 (1863). Typo locality, "Silver City, 

 Nevada Territory." 

 Near Crystal Spring, Coso Mountains (No. 936.) 



DistichliK spicata (I,.) Sp. PI. i. 71 (1753), under Uniola; Greene, Bull. Cal. Acad, 

 ii. 415 (1887). Type locality, "in America; borealis maritimis." 



Nos. 209, 855, 856. This plant, in seizing upon new moist ground not previously 

 occupied by it, sends out long, straight rootstocks, often several meters in length 

 and from these, at intervals of about 10 em., erect stems arise. A piece of ground 

 thus taken up presents, for the first few years, the striking appearance of being 

 cut into triangles, quadrangles, and similar geometrical figures. These rootstocks 

 subsequently die and decompose between the nodes, and a large number of indi- 

 viduals are thus separated, forming new centers of growth, and soon covering the 

 ground with a dense sod. 



Of all the plants that grow on moist soil in the desert, salt grass is the most 

 abundant. It occurred from the most southern point of our route eastward to the 

 Colorado River, northward to Owens River Valley, and westward to the Tulare 

 Plains, in fact, meeting us within the Lower Sonoran zone wherever we went. In 

 some places, as the shore of Owens Lake about Keeler and the farming region near 

 Visalia, it covers many acres of ground, furnishing the natural, but unfortunately 

 very poor, pasturage. Horses eat it with avidity, evidently enjoying the salty taste, 

 but it is so nearly devoid of nutritive matter that they lose flesh constantly. 



Poa fendleriana (Steud.) Syn. PL Glum. i. 278 (1855), under Eragrostis; Vasey, 

 111. N. A. Gr. ii. 74 (1893). Type locality, "Mexico.'' 



In the Panamint Mountains (Nos. 507, 782). This is the Atropis califomka of the 

 Botany of California. 



Poapratensis L. Sp. PL i. 67 (1753). Type locality European. 

 Near Mineral King (No. 1404). 



!See L. Sp. PL i. 81 (1753), under Arundo phragmites. 



