414 



GR SSKS OK lo v.\ 



Fig. 192. Porcupine grass, or Needle grass, {Stipa spartea). Common prairie 

 grass on gravelly soils. (F. Lamson-Scrlbner, Div. Agrost. U. S. Dep'. Agrl.) 



and develops very rapidly maturing it? fruit in June. When 

 mature the fruit with its awned flowering glumes soon fall cT 

 leaving the large pale straw colored empty glumes. The sharp 

 pointed callus of the fruit in many cases does a positive injury 

 to sheep. The fruit has awns which when dry are bent and 

 much twisted. When moistened they straighten out and by 

 the twisting and un'.wisting of the awn the fruit buries itself. 

 But aside from the fact that this grass has the sharp poin ed 

 callus it is a good forage p'ant. 



Prof. F. LamsonScribner* says: "It is particularly c.m- 

 mon in the prairie regions of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, 

 and Minnesota, extending westward to the Rocky mountains, 

 where it frequently occurs upon the dry foothills and bench 



•Bull. U. S. Dept. Agrl Dlv. Agros 14:71. 



