AGROSTIDEAE 71 



Miihlcnbcrgia pungciis, so called because its leaves are 

 stiff and spiny pointed is to be found growing on the sand 

 hills at various places in the State and would no doubt make 

 a fine sand-binder. It has stout scaly underground stems, 

 running in various directions, which would make the work 

 of propagating it easier than with the seed. The panicle is 

 at first pretty close but later it spreads considerably, and is 

 a beautiful reddish purple color. Notwithstanding its very 

 sharp pointed and tough leaves, cattle seem to like it and eat 

 it freely, probably because of some agreeable taste. Unfor- 

 tunately for the stockman's interests it is not at all common 

 and nowhere abundant in the State. 



Muhlenhergia gracilUma is perhaps as common as any 

 of the species of the genus that occur in the state. It usually is 

 fairly abundant any place where ordinary Grama occurs, 

 commonly on the higher mesas and plains, and on the lower 

 parts of the mountains where the timber is entirely absent 

 or very widely scattered. It may be recognized by its peculiar 

 habit of growth. It is always a small grass forming circular 

 or lobed "bunches" which grow on the outside, ever increas- 

 ing the size of the tuft, but die in the middle, thus forming 

 more or less circular rings of vegetation with a bare spot in 

 the middle. The panicle is usually 6 to 10 inches high, widely 

 spreading, with many very small purple spikelets on numerous 

 very fine branches. The leaves are always very short (1 or 2 

 inches long) and recurved even on the growing plant, but 

 much more so on the dried material. The grass is eaten some- 

 what by stock but is not well liked, possibly because it pulls up 

 freely bringing up sand and dirt which they do not like in their 

 mouths. It is not of any large importance of itself, but its 

 presence in anything like abundance on a range indicates that 

 that range is beginning to succumb to the effects of over- 

 stocking. The grass in question can not compete success- 

 fully with ordinary Grama, hence when it is a prominent grass 

 in a range containing Grama it shows thac the Grama has 

 been crowded out and the Muhlenhergia is being given an 



