GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 161 
Some of the western species have plumose or feathery awns, those 
of Stipa neo-mexicana (Thurb.) Scribn. being 4 to 8 inches long, 
plumose to the second bend, those of the handsome S. speciosa Trim 
and Rupr. plumose below the single bend. A striking species of the 
upper Mississippi Valley is Stipa spar tea Trim (fig. 93), called 
porcupine grass and devil's darning needles. The rigid indurate 
fruiting lemma is about three-fourths of an inch long, tapering be- 
low into a very sharp hairy point, which acts like a barb, and termi- 
nating above in a stout awn as much as 6 inches long. At maturity 
the awn bends twice near the middle and becomes tightly twisted be- 
low the first bend. Variations in moisture cause the awn to twist 
and untwist, by which movement and by the aid of the sharp callus 
it can penetrate the soil. Several other species have elongate awns, 
such as S. avenacea L. of the eastern half of the United States and S, 
conwta Trin. and Rupr. of the western half, the latter species being 
called needle-and-thread grass, because of the long flexuous upper 
portion of the awns. Stipa viridula Trin. and its allies have a nar- 
row compact panicle and comparatively inconspicuous awns 1 or 2 
inches long. One of these species, S. vmeyi Scribn., is called sleepy 
grass, because of the narcotic effects sometimes produced upon horses 
when they have fed upon it. Sleepy grass, found in New Mexico 
and Colorado, is a stout grass 3 to 5 feet high, with a narrow panicle 
as much as a foot long, the sheaths hairy at the throat. In S. tenuis- 
sima Trin. (fig. 94) of New Mexico the fruit is very small, less than 
3 mm. long. 
The species of Stipa are for the most part valuable forage plants. 
The most important species on the ranges are S. viridula, S. minor 
(Vasey) Scribn., and S. lettermani Vasey. They are known as porcu- 
pine grasses. All have narrow panicles. One of the Old World 
species, S. tenacissima L., furnishes a part of the esparto or alfa 
grass of Spain and Algeria that is used in the manufacture of paper 
and cordage. 
77. Akisttda L., the needle grasses. 
Spikelets 1 -flowered, the rachilla disarticulating obliquely above 
the glumes; glumes equal or unequal, narrow, acute, acuminate, or 
awn-tipped; lemma indurate, narrow, terete, convolute, with a hard, 
sharp-pointed, usually minutely bearded callus at base, terminating 
above in a usually trifid awn. 
Annual or perennial, mostly low grasses, with narrow, frequently 
convolute blades and narrow or sometimes open panicles. Species 
about 150, in the warmer regions of the world; 36 species in the 
United States ; especially abundant in the Southwestern States. 
97769°— 19— Bull. 772 11 
is 
