259 



DIVISION OF BOTANY. 



BULLETIN No. 12. 



Grasses of the Southwest, Part I, G. Yasey (illustrated). 

 " This bulletin is to constitute tbe tirst half of the first volume of a 

 work entitled Illustrations of jllTorth American Grasses. The work 

 when completed will consist of two volumes, the first entitled, 'Grasses 

 of the Southwest, the second, Grasses of the Pacific Slope. Proper 

 title-pages and indexes will be published with the last part of each vol- 

 ume." In this number are included plates and descriptions of 50 

 species of the grasses of the desert region of Western Texas, New Mex- 

 ico, Arizona, and Southern California, as follows: ^-Egoimgon geminiflorns, 

 Andropogon cirrhatHs, A. hirtiflonis, A. saccharoides, A. tcrightii, Aris- 

 tida arizonica, A. divaricata, Bouteloua arenosa, B. aristidoides, B. Bur- 

 Tceij B. eriopoda, B. havardii, B. hirsuta, B. humboldtiana, B. oUgostachya, 

 B. prostrata, B. raceinosa, B. ramosa, B. stricta, B. trifida, Buchloe 

 dactyloides, Cathestecum erectum, Ceiichrus mgosuroides, C. tribuloides 

 Chloris alba^ G. cillata, C. cucullata, G. glauca, G. vertieUlata, EHonurus 

 barbiculmis, Eplcampes macroura^ E.rige>is, Eremochloe bigelovu.E. Tcingii, 

 Eriochloa sericea, Hetcropogon contortus, Hilar ia cenchroides, E. mutica, 

 Melica diffusa, M. porteri, Muhlenbergia distichophijUa, ill. gracilis, Pani. 

 cum bulbosum, P. ciliatissimum, P. lachnanthum, Setaria caiidata, Steno- 

 taphrum americanum, Stipa flexuosa, Thurberia arJcansana, Tracliypogon 

 polymorphus, Tragus raceinosus. 



Probably the most important agricultural question before the people of this region 

 is how to increase the production of grasses and forage plants on the arid lands. It 

 is the opinion of many that this can be done by bringing under cultivation some of 

 the native species. Experiments are about to be undertaken in this direction by the 

 agricultural experiment stations and by individuals. The first step in such an enter- 

 prise is a knowledge of or an acquaintance with the native species. Nothing can be 

 better adapted to this object than the work here undertaken, and in this way the 

 knowledge of the scientist can be made helpful to the practical economist. * * » 

 A second part of an equal number of plates is now in preparation, after which it is 

 proposed to publish an analytical synopsis of all the grasses of the desert region. 

 The drawings of the grasses have been made chiedy by Mr. William R. Scholl, and 

 in the description of the species I wish to acknowledge important aid from Mr. 

 Frederick V. Coville, assistant botanist. 



13153— No. 5 G 



