January 3, 1910 163 



to a height of one or two feet, their rather woody structure per- 

 mitting them to mark the locality of the plants until late in 

 winter." 



On page 8 he further remarks concerning several species of 

 the genus: 



"Stipa is the generic name applied to several kinds of grass 

 closely related to those of Oryzopsis, and commonly called fea- 

 ther grass. Various kinds of these feather grasses are found 

 growing spontaneously over a great portion of the western coun- 

 try, where they contribute much to the native forage. 



"Four kinds of feather grass are found in the immediate 

 neighborhood of the Truckee Valley. The one of these seem, 

 ingly most valuable is that least generally distributed. This is 

 Stipa speciosa. It commonly frequents rocky situations, such 

 as the rocky points crowning the hills. Here it forms dense 

 stools several inches in diameter. Another wholly different sit- 

 uation in which the species has been observed is that of a grav- 

 elly hillside. 



"The stools show great age, evident in their size and the 

 immediate situations in which they are found. They are often 

 a foot in diameter (large for this genus); and, unlike allied spe- 

 cies, the stools are usually closely associated with one or another 

 of the shrubs of the vicinity. This fact, taken in connection 

 with that of the proximity of these plants to the rocks of the 

 open hills, indicates a dependence upon some fixed object hav- 

 ing power to retain a certain amount of moisture while the stools 

 are becoming established. An indication of the plant's ability 

 for self-support, when once established, is exhibited by strong 

 stools occurring in open spaces. An examination of such stools, 

 however, shows, in almost every instance, the decayed remains 

 of some former shrub, long survived by the grass once protected 

 by it. 



"The large stools produce a dense tuft of fine, moderately 

 stiff leaves, standing a foot or more high. These are slightly 

 exceeded by the rather fine stems, which produce narrow flower 

 clusters. The quantity of seed produced is not large." 



