138 . TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Aira liolciformis (Presl.) (?) 



Moist meadows; Mission Dolores, Oakland, Mark West's Creek. It 

 yields a large bulk of hay in moist meadows, but of what quality I am 

 not able to say. April; perennial. 



Aira caespitosa ; variation, lonyijlora, — Hair grass. 



Eureka, (Mr. Schmitt.) Sierras, (Dr. Ilillebrand.) Of no use. 



Trisetum cermeum (Trin.) 



Dry hillsides near Bay of San Francisco, and Oakland hills; also, on 

 the banks of Santa Rosa Creek. I should consider this species not alto- 

 gether valueless; it surely deserves further attention. March, April; 

 annual. 



Trisetum subspicatum (Beauv.) 



Sierras, (Doctor Ilillebrand and Professor Brewer.) Yalue doubtful. 



Trisetum (?) 



Moist meadows and hillsides; Oakland, Russian River Valley. A 

 pretty tall sj)ecies. I should consider it worth trying. April ; annual. 



Avena fatau (Lin.) — Wild oats. 



This is yet our best fodder grass, save the cereals sown expressly for 

 the purpose of making hay. Europeans look upon it as a pest, and 

 volumes have been written suggesting means how to rid the fields from 

 it. It has a wide, almost universal range; it occurs throughout Europe, 

 having advanced from the countries of the Mediterranean, and Peru. It 

 is, however, last disappearing in California, on account of the country 

 having been overstocked. Many are of the opinion that this is also an 

 introduced species. I am of a different opinion. My reasons are sub- 

 stantially the same which I stated under Gastridium australe. April; 

 annual. 



Arrhenatherum avenaceum (Beauv.) — Oat grass. 



Observed last September in a cultivated field at Mendocino City, 

 where it had been sown with Iloh-us lanatus. Both grasses looked 

 remarkably well. I am inclined to believe that some of the best eastern 

 and European fodder grasses would do quite well in fields west of the 

 Redwoods, along the coast. In Germany it is known under the name of 

 " French ray grass." The roots are stoloniferous, perennial, and spread 

 rapidly; the culms attain a height of three to five feet; leaves plentiful 

 and large. It yields a large bulk of ha^^ in dry fertile soil. Although 

 the term " dr}^," in Germany, would not apply to Californian meadows, 

 yet it would be advisable to experiment with this species. The appear- 

 ance of that small field at Mendocino City is surely encouraging. 



Dantlionia CaU/ornica (Bol.) — California wild oat grass. 



Dry meadows at Oakland and Mission Dolores. Rather a rare grass. 

 April; perennial; useless. 



