58 AGROSTIDEAE 



in the mountains throughout the State, S. comata being fairly- 

 abundant in the region north and east of Santa Rosa. 



They are relished by stock and considered very good 

 feed by stockmen: they are of especial importance because 

 they appear at a time when most of the other grasses are dead 

 and dry. Apparently they do not reproduce readily and since 

 they are now rarely allowed to go to seed, they are probably 

 being gradually exterminated wherever stock can get at them. 

 Xhey grow in such situations as the Needle Grasses (to which 

 they are closely related) and it would be wise to encourage 

 the growth of the Stipas instead of the Aristidas if it were 

 possible. 



Three or four other species of this genus (S.finibriata, 

 S. ed,itorum, and S. pringlei) furnish good feed wherever they 

 occur in the mountains, but they are never very abundant any 

 place and like those previously mentioned they are so palatable 

 that they rarely are allowed to mature seed on the open range. 

 They are. slenderer and smaller grasses than the species 

 already referred to, the awns are shorter and the plants 

 mostly smaller. As separate tufts sparingly scattered in 

 among the rocks or sometimes more or less protected by stiff 

 or spiny shrubs they manage to escape their animal foes. They 

 are summer grasses probably living only a few seasons; they 

 may be recognized by their more slender habit, shorter awns 

 and relatively rounder "seed." Sfipa finihriata is known as 

 PiNON Grass in the Guadalupe Mountains, probably because 

 it grows freely under the pinon trees. 



Stipa vaseyi and Stipa viridiila are two very similar 

 species of coarse bright green grasses forming thick bunches 

 and frequently covering considerable areas in the open gently 

 sloping canons or park-like draws in the timbered mountains. 

 They have leaves often 18 inches or more long and the 

 crowded panicle is often as much as 4 feet high ; the flowering 

 and empty glumes as well as the leaves and stalks are all a 

 uniform bright green and at first sight it would seem to be a 



