GENERAL REMARKS ON FORAGE GRASSES II 



all open land known under the general name of plains, 

 an example of which is the area called the Great Plains 

 of North America. Other areas of this kind are the 

 steppes of Russia, and the llanos and pampas of South 

 America. Grazing animals feed upon many kinds of 

 plants but of these the grasses are by far the most 

 important. 



The grasses are distinguished by having narrow leaves 

 arranged in two rows or ranks, by having small greenish 

 flowers usually in heads or panicles, and by the fruit or 

 seed which is a grain like the kernel of wheat or seed of 

 timothy. To the grass family belong the common 

 meadow and pasture grasses, such as timothy, redtop, 

 and bluegrass, the cereals, such as wheat and rice, and 

 also certain larger plants such as, corn, sorghum, and 

 sugar cane. The sedges and rushes often have grass-like 

 leaves but are distinguished from the grass family by the 

 structure of the flowers and fruit. The sedges that most 

 closely resemble grasses in general appearance can be 

 distinguished by their 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves. 

 In general the sedges inhabit marshes and other wet 

 places and are of little value as forage. 



Legumes 



The legumes are plants bearing pods and peculiarly 

 shaped flowers like those of the pea. They usually have 

 compound leaves. Well known plants of the legume 

 family are the clovers, alfalfa, peas, beans, and vetches. 

 The especial value of the legumes lies in the fact that the 

 forage is highly nutritious, being rich in the nitrogenous 

 compounds called proteids. Not only are they valuable 



