COLLECTING GRASSES IN TEXAS, LOUISIANA, AND 

 NORTHEASTERN MEXICO 



By J. R. SW ALLEN 

 Section of Grasses, U. S. National Museum 



The territory including Louisiana, Texas, and northeastern Mexico 

 contains many varied and interesting grasses. During April, May, 

 and June, I made a trip to various localities in this region to study this 

 element of the flora in the spring and early summer. Arriving at 

 Brownsville, Tex., early in April, I spent about two weeks in collect- 

 ing in the Rio Grande Valley and on the Coastal Plain as far north as 

 Sarita. 



During recent years the Rio Grande Valley has greatly developed its 

 agricultural resources — so much, in fact, that if the same rate of ad- 

 vance is continued in the future, it will not be many years until the 

 native flora will be largely a thing of the past. As the soil is naturally 

 very fertile all that is needed to bring it into productivity is clearing 

 of the land and a sufficient water supply. Where there was once 

 mesquite and cacti, truck farms and orange groves now flourish. It is 

 highly desirable that as much of the original flora as possible be known 

 before it is gone forever. Of especial interest along the Rio Grande 

 is the grove of the endemic palm (Sabal texana). 



In sharp contrast to the rich valley are the sandy stretches of 

 Kennedy and Willacy counties, an excellent region for grasses which 

 provide good forage for cattle. Characteristic of this region are the 

 low sand hills — areas of barren, loose, shifting sands. It is not diffi- 

 cult at places to imagine oneself in the midst of a vast desert. 



The month of May was spent in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, a 

 region that has scarcely been touched by botanical explorations. The 

 area is a rolling plain, with mountains in the south and central por- 

 tions, and is only slightly developed. Stock raising, for which the 

 country is well suited, is one of the principal industries. Fruits, hene- 

 quin, and sugar cane are among the principal agricultural products. 

 For several days I collected near Victoria, the capital of the state, and 

 in the foothills of the Sierra Madre nearby. The lower part of the 

 mountains supports a dense growth of brush and small trees, making 

 travel difficult off the regular trails. The upper slopes, however, are 

 more open and are covered with a dense growth of various kinds of 



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