30 



BULLETIN 201, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



LEPTOCHLOA DUBIA (H. B. K.) Nees. 



Leptochloa dubia is a species said to be distributed within the limits of the United 

 States from Florida to Arizona, and it extends southward far into Mexico. In the 

 Southwest, where it reaches the greatest perfection, it inhabits the higher valleys 

 and lower mountain areas, making a very striking and favorable growth, often 3 feet 

 in height. It never produces a perfect stand, but grows scatteringly among the gramas, 

 muhlenbergias, and similar species. Its seed habits are good, and it is considered a 

 promising species for cultivation. It is rather coarse, but the leafage and habit are 

 both good, and really it is but little coarser than timothy or English bluegrass. 



No. 8950 was collected in the Santa Rita Mountains, Ariz., September 25, 1907. 

 The specimen was nearly mature. It was cut 3 inches high. Its percentage of mois- 

 ture was 6.57. Other constituents (on a water-free basis) were as follows: Ash, 10.23; 

 ether extract, 1.74; crude fiber, 33.36; nitrogen-free extract, 47.98; protein, 6.69; pen- 

 tosans, 22.62. 



LEPTOCHLOA FILIFORMIS (Lam.) Beauv. (Leptochloa mucronata). 



Leptochloa filiformis is a common and conspicuous species in the edges of streams, 

 ponds, and neglected irrigating ditches throughout the Southwest. It is especially 

 partial to alkaline soils; and, in some situations in the San Joaquin Valley of Cali- 

 fornia, upon lands which have been abandoned for ordinary crops on account of the 

 accumulation of soluble salts in the surface soils, so long as the ground is irrigated 

 and not invaded by Bermuda grass and other perennials which choke it out, this grass 

 is known to yield a large amount of forage. It seems to make a fair quality of feed, 

 but its annual habit and its being adapted to peculiar special conditions make it of 

 only secondary importance. 



No. 8577 was collected near Tempe, Ariz., September 24, 1906. The specimen 

 was in early maturity and was harvested close to the ground. 





Percent- 

 age of 

 moisture. 



Water-free basis (per cent). 



Material analyzed. 



Ash. 



Ether 

 extract. 



Grade 

 fiber. 



Nitrogen- 

 free 

 extract. 



Protein. 



Pento- 

 sans. 





2.26 



14.79 

 10.95 



1.88 

 2.28 



22.36 

 30.94 



52.27 

 43.32 



8.70 

 12.51 



15.43 

















11.72 



2.20 



29.22 



45.11 



11.75 











1 Connecticut Report, 1879, p. 155; Mississippi Report, 1895, p. 91; U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 Report No. 32, 1884, p. 127. 



LIMNODEA ARKANSANA (Nutt.) Dewey. 



Limnodea arhansana ranges from Texas to Florida and enters largely into the com- 

 position of dry upland pastures in southern Texas. It appears to be a valuable species, 

 which when in the vegetative condition is grazed by stock as readily as the gramas. 

 When dried, however, it seems to lose substance. In some seasons in southern Texas 

 (and this was true especially in 1908) it grows large enough to be cut for hay in un- 

 grazed upland pastures. 



No. 9204 was collected at San Antonio, Tex., April 20, 1908. The specimen was in 

 late blossom and was cut 2 inches above the ground. Its percentage of moisture was 

 8.47. Other constituents (on a water-free basis) were as follows: Ash, 9.56; ether 

 extract, 2.18; crude fiber, 34.48; nitrogen-free extract, 46.10; protein, 7.68; pento- 

 sans, 20.86. 



LYCURUS PHLEOIDES H. B. K. 



Lycurus phleoides is a species of the arid Southwest which has been popularly called 

 "Texan timothy," and it really does have a faint superficial resemblance to timothy, 

 the cultivated hay plant. It is a common species from Colorado to Texas and west- 

 ward to Arizona. In southern Arizona, where we are most familiar with it, this grass 



