Proso (P. milia'ceum), also called broomcorn millet and hog millet, is con- 

 sidered the type species of the genus, and is believed to have been the first 

 cereal cultivated by man. Although not a range grass, proso is an excellent 

 soiling crop, yields fair forage, and the grain is good poultry and hog feed. 4 



Para grass (P. purpuras' cens, syn. P. barbino'de), a perennial, probably 

 native to South America, is cultivated in Florida, and is coming into increasing 

 prominence in Texas and the Gulf Coast region, usually being propagated by 

 runner cuttings. It is adaptable to moist places where the temperature does 

 not drop below about 18 F., makes good hay and pasture, and is especially 

 valuable for planting pond margins and in soils which are too wet for the 

 cultivation of other crops. 6 Its possibilities of use in the far West, however, 

 seem to be limited to wet sites and those where irrigation is available. 



Among the paniegrasses native to the western range States, bulb panic- 

 grass (P. bulbo'sum) and vine-mesquite (P. obtu'sum) are probably the most 

 important and are discussed in detail elsewhere in this handbook. The eight 

 species noted below are probably the most outstanding of the others. 



Arizona panicgrass (P. arizo'nicum), an annual from 8 to 24 inches tall, 

 with branching stems bent at the base and frequently rooting at the joints, 

 occurs from Florida to Texas, Mexico, and southern California. The leaves 

 are rounded at the base, hairless on both surfaces and rough beneath. This 

 species has good palatability and occurs in sufficient abundance in Arizona 

 to be of some local importance. 



Cushion witchgrass (P. barbipulvina'tum,) and witchgrass (P. capilla're) 

 are very similar annuals, the former being more common in the West. Cushion 

 witchgrass tends to be smaller, but otherwise is much like witchgrass, which is 

 a variable species from 8 to 32 inches high, with large, open, purplish heads 

 partially included in the upper leaf sheath until maturity. At maturity, the 

 numerous fine branches of the heads are widely spreading, and bear long- 

 stalked spikelets near their ends. The entire head of the plant commonly 

 breaks off and is rolled about by the wind. Witchgrass is widely distributed 

 in the East and central United States and occurs in Montana, Colorado, and 

 California, possibly as an extension of its range. These two annuals have 

 about the same palatability and are practically worthless to poor forage after 

 the heads develop. In the spring, before the heads develop, these grasses gen- 

 erally rate as poor to fair or possibly fairly good forage, although in some 

 localities 1 , especially in the Southwest, they occupy somewhat higher rank. 



Pacific panicgrass (P. paci'ficum), the commonest species of the genus in 

 California, occurs on sandy shores and slopes and in moist crevices in rocks. 

 It ranges northward to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. During springtime, 

 this perennial has erect, light-green stems, but, by autumn, the stems become 

 prostrate-spreading and repeatedly branched from the upper and middle stem 

 joints. This species is probably of at least fair palatability, although usually 

 of negligible forage value, because of its limited occurrence. 



Scribner panicgrass (P. scribncria'num), a widely distributed perennial, 

 commonest in the Mississippi Valley, but ranging from Maine to Washington 

 and from the District of Columbia through Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas to 

 California, is a palatable and nutritious grass but seldom is sufficiently abun- 

 dant to be of importance on the western ranges. 



Switchgrass (P. virga'tum) occurs in every State east of the Mississippi 

 River and westward to southern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, eastern 

 Montana, eastern Nevada, Arizona, and western Texas, and southward, through 

 Mexico, to Central America. This grass is common and productive, especially 

 on sandy, loose soils, in the Central States. It is occasionally cultivated both 

 for pasture and hay but is more valuable as hay. In the Southwest switch- 

 grass occurs mainly along stream banks, in moist valleys, canyons, moist up- 

 lands, and near tanks and pools but is seldom common in the mountains. 

 Northward it has the reputation of producing but few leaves and is too rare 

 to be of much importance as a range plant. This species, although palatable 

 when young, is practically worthless as forage at maturity when the stems 

 become hard. It is an erect, often purplish tinged perennial, from 2 to 5 feet 

 high, with numerous, scaly, creeping rootstocks, and is an excellent soil binder. 



4 Martin, J. H. PROSO, OK HOG MILLET. TT. S. Dent. Agr. Farmers' Bull. 1162, 15 r>P , 

 illus. 1020. 



5 Piper, C. V. IMPORTANT CULTIVATED GKASSES. U. S. Dent. Ag r . Farmors' Bull 

 1254, .",S pi)., illus. 1021'. 



