FESTUCEAE 123 



from its value as a shee]) fed. for vvhic]i sheep men prize 

 it quite highly. Plans lia\e l)L'en made once or twice to 

 carry on some selection and breeding work with this grass 

 because of its promise for the arid regi'on, but they have not 

 yet been carried out. I^oa arida is a very close relative of 

 the Mutton Grass and was described from j)lants collected 

 near Socorro. The probabilities are that it cime from the 

 Socorro or Magdalena mountains. It is probably a valuable 

 grass and one that will bear closer investigation especially 

 in an\- attempt to select or breed a pasture grass for parts of 

 the arid region. 



Tlie other species of Poa listed are not common at any 

 place and not sufficiently widely scattered to be of much 

 economic importance. Considerable more attentinn should be 

 paid to tlie genus bv collectr)rs especially in the mountains 

 of the northern jiart of the state since there are doubtless 

 several other sj^ccies than those listed here, that do come into 

 that ]-art of the State. 



Maxn.v CiRas.s ( /\micitlaria ncnala) is a tall slender 

 and wtak grass tliat grows along stream banks and on cool 

 north slopes where the soil is wet and shaded. The plants 

 are always scattering, never numerous, and consist of but one 

 or two stems with a few basal and stem lea\'cs. The small 

 strongl}- nerved glumes and weakly drooping panicle with 

 few branches are characteristic. The grass but adds a small 

 amount to the summer forage of the cooler timbered areas. 



Till-: Fescue Grasses (Pcsluca spp. ) sometimes called 

 Rescue grasses, are moderately common in tlie upper timbered 

 areas of the State from elevations of 7500 feet (or less for 

 the .small annual species) to above timber-line. The annual 

 species. I-rsiiica octoflora, is a common early fall or late 

 summer grass or it may come earlier if there is plenty of 

 snow or rain. It grows well and rapidly, but is rarely over 

 4 to 6 inches high and is never very abundant, and is valuable 

 only as a small jxart of that rare thing, s'pring and early 

 summer feed, in the footliilis and lower sk^pes of the 



