40 



from a few inches to a foot or two in height. Perhaps the most generally dis- 

 tributed of our valuable pasture grasses, as it occurs in greater or less abun- 

 dance on both plains and foothills, as svell as to some extent in the mountains. 

 It is quite variable, also, in appearaiice, depending no doubt largely ui)on the 

 stage of development that it has reached and to some extent npon its habitat. 

 IMn'e Blutls, July G (3620); Beaver Basin, July 22 (3808); p:van8ton, July 28 

 (3850) ; Woods Landing, August 7 (3915) ; Battle Lake, August 16 (4040) ; Wagon 

 Hound Creek, August 21 (4100). 

 Melica bulbosa (ieycr (BiMsors Melic-gkass, fig. 13).— A tall, handsome, grass, 

 bearing small bulbs at the base of the straight stems; heads slender, but the 

 spikeh'ts plump ; 2 to 3 feet high. An excellent grass, but usually of very scat- 

 tering growth ; often protected from stock by growing among the undcrshrubs on 

 Ihe banks of ravines. Not very widely distributed, in fact, observed only a few 



times in the foothills, (ireeu 

 Top, June 29 (3265); Slieep 

 Mountain, July 3 (3306) ; Battle 

 Lake, August 16 (4023). 

 Distichlis spicata Greene (Salt- 

 <ii{ASs). — Leaves and stems 

 somewhat slender, but rather 

 \ "^^^ II II I \li IIW stiff", from a few inches to a foot 



Jl ^£ /If H M ormorehigh. It isdistinctively 



I f ^^ & \ 11 M III /■! " grass of the alkaline Hats, 



V x^d \ III III III mIII growing fairly well where salts 



are present in the soil to such 

 an extent that other grasses can 

 not live at all. It likes mois- 

 ture, but is not absent from com- 

 paratively dry ground. The 

 sod it forms is often close, but 

 always harsh and disagreeable. 

 In the desert regions it is valu- 

 able for the pasture it furnishes 

 about the springs that serve as 

 watering places for the stock on 

 the op<!n range. Line Bluffs, 

 July G (3631). 

 Poa arctica R. Brown (Akctic 

 .Si'Kak-(;kass). — A densely- 

 tufted grass, with erect stems 

 and very lax beads, the slen- 

 der pedicels loosely spreading. 

 It seems to be a valual)le jias- 

 turo grass, but occurs mostly 

 ;it high elevations, so ;is not 

 to come within the ordinary 

 range of stock; it prefers moist, rich slopes or creek bottoms, and attains in such 

 places a height of 15 to 25 inches. Head of Bole Creek, July 22 (3432). 

 Poa arida Vasey (Bench-land Spear-grass, fig. 14). — Forming suuill bundles, the 

 rootleavesshort but abundant, thestemsslender and almost naked above, 10 to 18 

 inches high. A'aliiable as an early i>asture grass on the drier bench lands, butof 

 little value in tlir meadows, for it is past its prime before the other grasses are 

 ready t.. be harvested. Pine lUuffs, July 6 (3GI3); Granger, July 30 (3S87). 

 Poa buckleyaua Nash (Brxcii-(iUAS.s).— A bunch-grass with erect, slender stems, 

 15 to 25 inches high; root leaves abundant but short. One of the most widely 

 distributed and valuable of the pasture grasses, but gnsatly variable in size and 



Fig. 12. — Slough-grass (lieckinannia irnciujOriiiin): a, h 

 spike; c, spikelct; d, floret. 



