ZONSIEAE 35 



white. The plant spreads slowly by its rootstocks, which are 

 short and thick, but it never forms a compact sod. 



ihe ToBosA Grass occupies a position of the same rel- 

 ative importance in the southern third of the State as the 

 Galleta does in the cooler plains and mountains. It closely 

 resembles the other species but is coarser, drier and tougher; 

 it is distinctly a bunch grass, forming tufts 8 inches to a foot 

 in diameter with numerous curved and spreading stems from 

 a single root. It usually occurs on open flats that have a 

 fine more or less compact soil and are not infrequently 

 flooded in the rainy season. It seems well adapted to such 

 places, since it can endure flooding for days and even weeks 

 without being "drowned out," and it can endure long periods 

 of drought, apparently with equal ease. Where the soil is 

 good and there is abundance of water, almost pure stands 

 of this species occur in patches of from a few square yards 

 to one or two acres in extent. It is about 15 co 20 inches 

 high, when well grown, has the same dull bluish-green color 

 and liarsh leaves, the same sort of a cylindrical hairy spike as 

 the Galleta grass. When dry it is not of much value as 

 forage for stock will not eat it — it is too hard and woody 

 and is apt to turn somewhat blackish. In this condition it 

 may be recognized by the peculiar bunches of curved stems 

 forming an unsymmetrical tuft. But stock accustomed to it 

 thrive on it during the growing season, which occurs just 

 after tlie summer rains. It is like tlie ( lalleta grass in liaving 

 thick rhizomes and being hard to trample out. This makes 

 it valual)le in the region it inhal)its which has a loose sandy 

 soil ea.-ily drifted about; l)y tlie wind, thus exposing the roots 

 to tram])ling. It is usually associated with the true T>lack 

 (rran^'i (Bouteloiia criopoda) and a grass known as Xeedle 

 Grass (Sclcropogon brcz'if alius), both of wliich are discussed 

 at length in their proper jilaces. and is a very important 

 source of forage within its range. It has already become 

 more important than tlie black Grama on some parts of the 

 range because it is not liked so well by cattle and also because 

 it is beiter able to stand trampling. 



