52 
wide, involute, and Dristle-like at the point; sheaths long, smooth, the — 
uppermost inclosing the base of the panicle; paniele very variable in 
size, from 6 inches to a foot or more, narrow and loose, variable in thiek- 
ness, the branches mostly in twos and threes, erect and appressed, 
much subdivided. Widely diffused over the Rocky Mountain region, 
extending to California and British America, furnishtg a considerable 
part of the wild forage of the region. (Plate 4.) 
Selaria setosa (Bristle-grass, fox-tail). 
A native species growing in New Mexico, Texas, and southward into 
Mexico and South America. It grows about 2 feet high. The stem and 
leaves are smooth, except a fine hairy ring at the joints. The leaves 
are 6 to 10 inches long, narrow, and gradually tapering to a long point. 
There is a tuft of short white hairs at the top of the leaf-sheath. The 
panicle is 4 to 6 inches long, erect, or slightly nodding at the top, Dat- 
rowly cylindrical, with very short sessile branches, usually somewhat 
Svclnanel below: sometimes the lower branches are longer, and the 
panicle looser. We know little as to the agricultural value of this spe- 
cies; as it is found in the arid districts, it is deserving the attention of 
farmers of that section. (Plate 5.) 
Hilaria Jamesii. 
The grass was formerly ealled Pleuraphis Jamesii. It is a native 0 of © 
the arid regions extending from Mexico to Colorado, growing in clumps 
from strong scaly runners orrhizomes. The base of the culm is usually 
covered with the dried leaves of the preceding year. The culms are — 
from 1 to 14 feet high, with a few short, rigid, light green or bluish-green 
leaves, which are more or less invelute. Hach culm is terminated by a — 
simple loose spike, 1 or 2 inches long, with alternate clusters of sessile 
spikelets. These clusters are quite complex in structure, each one col 
taining three spikelets, one central and two lateral. We do not know 
to what extent this grass ae but all reports speak highly as to its 
feeding value. (Plate 
Andropogons scoparius (Wood-grass; broom-grass). 
This grass usually grows from 2 to 3 feet high, the flowering spikes 
coming out in small clusters from many of the side joints on slender 
graceful peduneles. The spikes have a small bract near the base, and 
consist of a slender axis, with from six to ten alternate joints. This 
grass forms an important portion of the native grasses of the prairies 
of Kansas and Nebraska, extending in some of its forms to the Atlav- 
tic coast. (Plate 7.) 
Andropogon provincialis (Blue-stem). 
This is the tallest of our species. It grows erect to the height of 5 
or 6 feet, in rocky or hilly ground, or at the West it is abundant on the — 
_— & prairies, where it is frequently called blue-stem. The jdeaves are 
ently somewhat hairy on the sheaths and ee 
