GRASSES OP IOWA. 297 



Many native species of grasses occur, and they vary in 

 quantity and quality in different sections of the state. The 

 dominant grasses of central Iowa are big blue stem {Andropogon 

 provincialis) and little blue stem (.4. scoparius). Both of these 

 species are frequently called blue joints. Several species of 

 elymus »re also abundant, as wild rye of the prairies and 

 m adows; wild rye (Elymus robustus) on the flood plains of 

 streams, and dennet grass along the borders of woods. Other 

 common grasses are: Indian beard grass, or bushy blue stem 

 {Andropogon nutans) of prairies and open woods; tall grama 

 grass {Bouteloua racemosa) of the dry praries and gravelly 

 knolls; nodding fescue [Festuca nutans) in woods; slender fescue 

 {F. tenella) in dry, sterile soils; Short's fescue {F. shortii) in low 

 prairies, a most valuable species; switch grass {Panicum virga- 

 tum) in rather mo'st meadows; satin grasses {Muhlenbergia race- 

 mosa, M. ivilldenovii and M. mexicana) in moist soil of open 

 woodlands and meadows; swamp chess (Bromus ciliatus) in 

 open woodlands; fowl meadow grass {Poa serotina) in low 

 grounds along streams; wire grass (P. compressa) and squirrel 

 tail grass [Hordeum jubatum), an introduced species, in mead- 

 ows and waste places; blue joint (Calamagrostis canadensis), 

 reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) , common reed grass 

 {Cinna arundinacea), andfl oating manna grass {Glyceria aquatica) 

 in marshy places and shallow water; large rush grass and 

 bunch grass in dry prairies. In northeastern and western Iowa 

 the above as well as some additional species occur. Among 

 the latter are western wheat grass {Agropyron spicatum), 

 bearded wheat grass {A. richardsoni), blue grama (Bouteloua 

 oligostachyga), slough grass (iSpartina cynosuroides) and big sand 

 grass (Calamovilfa longifolia). 



Leguminosce. — Members of the Pulse family constitute an 

 important part of Iowa pastures and me adows. Every well regu- 

 lated farm should have some leguminous forage plants. This 

 large family contains some 7,000 species of plants. Few of these 

 have deleterious properties and many of them are of economic 

 importance to man. Our Iowa species vary from the diminu- 

 tive clover to the large Kentucky coffee tree. Many hundred 

 species are valuable for forage, but only a few of these are 

 grown in Iowa. All of our leguminous forage plants belong to 

 the sub-order Papilionacece. 



Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is the most important of our 

 forage plants. It is well adapted to every section of the state; 



