Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 225 



subsided. One of the chief difficulties with the grass is that it is 

 an annual, producing a single crop to the sowing, and would have 

 to be handled much like millet. 



58. SALT-MARSH COCKSPUR-GRASS 



ECHINOCHLOA WALTERI (Pursh) Nash 



This is not so common as the preceding, only a few plants hav- 

 ing been found along the southwestern shore of the lake, inter- 

 mixed with the other species. It is fairly common along the shore 

 of Yellow River near Twin Lakes. This species is generally more 

 robust and of a deeper purple color than E. crus-galli, and usually 

 has much longer awns. On account of its more robust habit, it 

 would make a more promising pasture or meadow grass than the 

 other unless its roughness and beardiness proved a serious draw- 

 back. 



59. WITCH-GRASS; TUMBLE-WEED 



PANICUM CAPILLARE L. 



While fairly common in places, this grass is not so abundant in 

 the neighborhood of the lake as in many other parts of the state. 

 It is rather frequent along the beach, especially by the railroad 

 bridge at Culver. It was found also on the first and second ter- 

 races of the beach at Long Point, and along the shore by Scovell's 

 and Arlington. It was common in cultivated grounds east of the 

 lake. Most of the plants found in the vicinity of the lake were 

 small and dwarfed, and it does not form a conspicuous feature of 

 the landscape. 



The old witch-grass thrives most luxuriantly in rich black soil, 

 either in tilled ground or in meadows and pastures where the sod 

 has been killed out. A luxuriant patch has a peculiar airy fineness 

 about it which gives it an unique charm. Before it has ripened, the 

 rich purple of the fine spray-like heads gives the effect of a distant 

 haze to landscapes near at hand. A very fine effect of this sort 

 was observed along the Vandalia railroad several miles above Cul- 

 ver, where there was a large patch. When ripe and dead, a dense 

 patch, hiding the ground beneath with its mist-like fineness, gives 

 the appearance of a cloud; to walk through it gives a sense of in- 

 security, — it is almost like walking on air. When each of the tiny 

 sprigs holds a minute drop of dew or fog on a gray morning, the 

 effect is quite indescribable. 



Well developed plants in rich ground form great globular masses 

 somewhat like the winged pigweed, the cultivated Kochia, or the 



15— 17618— Vol. 2 



