52 



wide, involute, and bristle-like at the point; sheaths long, smooth, the 

 uppermost inclosing the base of the panicle ; panicle very variable in 

 size, from G inches to a foot or more, narrow and loose, variable in thick- 

 ness, the branches mostly in twos and threes, erect and appressed, 

 much subdivided. Widely diffused over the Bocky Mountain region, 

 extending to California and British America, Yurniskihg 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 G 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 G inches long, erect, or slightly nodding at the top, nar- 

 rowly cylindrical, with very short sessile branches, usually somewhat 

 interrupted 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 called PleurovpMs Jamesii. It is a native of 

 the arid regions extending from Mexico to Colorado, growing in clumps 

 from strong scaly runners or rhizomes. The base of the culm is usually 

 covered with the dried leaves of the preceding year. The culms arc 

 from 1 to 1J feet high, with a few short, rigid, light green or bluish-green 

 leaves, which are more or less involute. Each 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 con- 

 taining three spikelets, one central and two lateral. We do not know 

 to what extent frMs grass prevails, but all reports speak highly as to its 

 feeding value. (Plate G.) 



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 peduncles. 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 aud Nebraska, extending in some of its forms to the Atlan- 

 tic coast. (Plate 7.) 



Andropogon provincialis (Blue-stem). 



This is the tallest of our species. It grows erect to the height of 5 

 or G feet, in rocky or hilly ground, or at the West it is abundant on the 

 native prairies, where it is frequently called blue-stem. The. H aves are 

 long, and frequently somewhat hairy on the sheaths and margins. The 



