CHLORIDEAE 103 



Stockeat it only when other more palatable grasses ace gone and 

 its habit of growing best on rocky slopes protects it to some 

 extent because the animals will not climb up for it as long 

 as other more easily reached food is obtainable. As shown 

 by the illustration the grass has a tall strict stem 18 inches 

 to 2y2 feet high with numerous small pendulous spikes 

 arranged along it and a rather large bunch of leaves at the 

 base. The structure of the panicle is characteristic. 



Athcropogon hromoxdcs is a more valuable species 

 somewhat resembling tlie preceding but with lower stems, 

 fewer and larger sj^ikes usually purplish tinged, and slightly 

 less foliage leaves. It is not common in this State occurring 

 so far as is known only in the soutli western part in the lower 

 mountains. Prof. Hiornber refers to this grass in Arizona 

 as Spruce-top Grama, in the bulletin previously mentioned. 

 There is one other species of Grama, Bouteloiia 

 brez'isefa. for wliich we have heard no common nanu-, that- 

 occurs only on gypsum soils in New Mexico, so far as our 

 observation goes. In general appearance it is most like a 

 "queer" form of Blue Grama and will readily be recognized by 

 its resemblance to that sj)ecies and its habitat. It is not 

 valuable as forage exce])t for the fact that it will grow on 

 such soils and is a degree better than nothing, a consideration 

 which is sometimes of importance in areas of considerable 

 extent. 



Sprangle is a name given Lcptochloa diibia* l)y Mr. 

 James K. Metcalfe who cultivated this and other promising 

 native species for a number of years with the idea of improv- 

 uig :he ranges of New Mexico. The name is so :-atisfact:!ry 

 and applicable to this grass with a spranging panicle of 

 s(\irnl long spikes that I suggest its wider use. The grass 

 m question is a rather short-lived perennial which seeufs 

 most at home on rocky hillsides or in arroyos and does not 

 do very well on flat compact soils. It produces an abundance 

 of seed wliich germinate rather freely. The mature plant is a 



Called Texas Crowfoot In Bull. 65, Arizona Experiment Station, p 275. 



