SERICEA AND OTHER PERENNIAL LESPEDEZAS 43 



The American species never occur in dense stands but affect 

 dry, gravelly banks, margins of woods, and other well-drained 

 areas. These species are all subject to a rust (Uromyces lespe- 

 dezae-procumbentis) that may be severe enough to cause defolia- 

 tion. The oriental species grown in the United States are 

 fortunately free from this rust. In Japan a rust described under 

 the above name has been reported from several species (13). 

 Teliospores of this form have been found on pods and leaf debris 

 imported with seed from the Orient, and Mains 16 has shown that 

 such teliospores may germinate. There appear to be two physio- 

 logical races of this rust, one confined to the American species 

 and the other to the oriental forms. Since it is possible for 

 teliospores of the oriental form to germinate, the greatest care 

 should be taken in importing seed from the Orient lest this form 

 become established on the oriental species introduced into the 

 United States. 



Other Perennial Species 



A few of the other herbaceous perennials have been grown in 

 the Arlington Experiment Farm nurseries and elsewhere (fig. 16) . 







il r 



Figure 16. — Nursery of perennial lespedeza at Arlington Experiment Farm, 

 Va. This farm was discontinued in 1940. 



Of these a species tentatively identified as Lespedeza juncea&v- 

 pears to offer promise as an erosion-control plant. From prelimi- 

 nary trials it seems that the seeds germinate somewhat more 

 quickly and that the seedlings make a somewhat more rapid growth 



16 E. B. Mains, botanist, Indiana State Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 Letter to author, May 12, 1930. 



