Hairy Grama {Bouteloua hirsuta) is a grass that 

 pretty closely resembles Blue Grama and is frequently asso- 

 ciated with that species at the lower levels of its distribution 

 area. It may be recognized by the following characters. It 

 is usually a little smaller, rarely being over 1 foot high: it 

 -always has more of the lateral spikes, generally 3 to 5 on a 

 stem: the spikes are shorter, about ^ of an inch long, and 

 broader, they are also more hairy being approximately 

 hirsute; and the rachis of each spike is prolonged conspicu- 

 ously at the end beyond the last spikelet. This grass usually 

 occurs at lower levels in hotter and drier soils along the foot- 

 hills of the lower mountains mostly at tlie southern end of 

 the State. In the southeastern corner of the State it is the 

 best forage plant found on the ranges. In this region it is 

 -called Black Grama though that name is probably properly 

 applied to another species. 



There seems to be some psychologic reason why 

 people should want to use "Black Grama" as a name, since 

 it is applied to at least four different species of grass in this 

 soutliwestern arid region, if reports are to be trusted, and 

 none of the grasses are in any sense black. In a recent bul- 

 letin on The Grazing Ranges of Arizona* Professor Thornber 

 refers to MuJilenbcrgio porteri as "Black Grama." This 

 grass is here called Mesquite Grass, a name originally given 

 to me by Dr. Vasey. In several of the earlier bulletins 

 relating to the Western range grasses, Hilaria jamesii is 

 ' referred to as "Black Grama." This grass we have called 

 Galleta Grass. Neither of these grasses is in any way even 

 closely related to the genus to which the Gramas belong, 

 though it is well understood that a common name may be 

 applied to any plant without any reference to other applica- 

 tions of similar or seemingly related names. 



As has just been noted, in southeastern New Mexico 

 //Black Grama" is Bouteloua hirsuta (here referred to as 

 "Hniry Grama" which is almost a translation of its Latin 



• Bulletin 65 Arizon-' Experiment Station. 



