1917] Kennedy: New Grasses for California, I 



the herbarium of the Division of Agronomy, Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Berkeley. Among the seeds in the packet Erom Harding was 

 an outer glume whose narrow wing showed distinctly the scaberulous 

 margin characteristic of Ph. stenoptt ra. 



Hackel mentions that he received the plants ami seeds from which 

 he drew up the original description of I'h. stenoptera Erom A. .1. 

 Ewart, of Melbourne. Since the seeds of at Leasl two species an 

 hopelessly mixed in Australia, is it not just possible that the seeds 

 sent to Hackel may have been the annual species which constantly 

 has only one sterile floret and that the plants were those of Ph. 

 stenoptera, the perennial species? 



A most interesting fact in connection with this grass is that it 

 should not have been described from Europe previous to its introduc- 

 tion to the Toowoomba Botanical Gardens by seed sent Erom Italy. 

 Hackel in his description says "Patria ignota." This from such a 

 renowned agrostologist who has traversed the whole of southern 

 Europe many times, is of especial significance. Could it he a hybrid 

 from other existing species? 



Economic Considerations 



The giving of a name to this grass which will be suitable for 

 everyday agricultural usage deserves some consideration. Perennial 

 canary grass is not desirable, as there are several "perennial canary' 

 grasses. Toowoomba grass is too unwieldy. I propose to call it 

 Harding grass, after the man who first grew it in Australia. 



Our experiments demonstrate that the seed may be sowd at Davis 

 during the winter season so as to take advantage of the rains. The 



young plants, although very slender, almost like threads aing 



through the ground, are very hardy and were not harmed by severe 

 frosts. At the same time cotyledons of such hardy species as .1// lilotus 

 alba turned yellow and many seedlings were killed outright by the 

 drouth and cold. The grass grows rapidly, stooling profusely, and 

 producing large clumps the first season. A feature of greal merit 

 from a pasture standpoint is the large number of dense leafy shoots 

 produced from the base. The first year these are much in evidence 

 and comparatively few flowering culms are sent up. These are only 

 about two to two and a half feet tall and bear short, somewhal ovate 

 heads. The leafage is devoid of hairy coverings of any kind, thus 

 tending towards a clean hay and palatable pasturage. 



