430 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



also furnishes hay and makes good 

 winter range. 



29. Sporobolus texanus Vasey. 

 (Fig. 618.) Perennial, in close hemi- 

 spherical tufts; culms erect to spread- 

 ing, slender, wiry, 30 to 50 cm. tall; 

 sheaths pilose at the throat, the lower 

 often papillose-pilose on the surface; 

 blades flat, involute in drying, mostly 

 less than 10 cm. long, 1 to 4 mm. 

 wide; panicle open, rather diffuse, 

 breaking away at maturity, 15 to 30 

 cm. long, about as wide, the capillary 

 scabrous branches, branchlets, and 

 long pedicels stiffly spreading; spike- 

 lets about 2.5 mm. long, the first 

 glume acute, one-third to half as long, 



Figure 617.— Sporobolus wrightii. Panicle, X H; the Second, acuminate, slightly eX- 

 glumes and floret, X 10. (Hitchcock 3648, Ariz.) -,. , , J l 



ceedmg the acute lemma and palea, 

 maturity; second glume, lemma, and the palea early splitting. 01 — 

 palea about equal, the palea splitting Mesas, valleys, and salt marshes, 

 as the grain ripens. % — Meadows Kansas and Colorado to Texas and 

 and valleys, especially in moderately Arizona, 

 alkaline soil, South Dakota and Mis- 

 souri to eastern Washington, south to 

 Texas and southern California; Mex- 

 ico. Mature spikelets with the first 

 glume fallen and the palea split to 

 the base are puzzling to the beginner. 

 Less mature complete spikelets will 

 usually be found at the base of the 

 panicle. A good forage grass in al- 

 kaline regions; often called bunch- 

 grass. 



28. Sporobolus wrightii Munro ex 

 Scribn. Sacaton. (Fig. 617.) Peren- 

 nial, in large dense tufts; culms ro- 

 bust, erect, firm and hard, 1 to 2 m. 

 tall; sheaths sparsely pilose at the 

 throat; ligule pilose; blades elongate, 

 flat, involute in drying, 3 to 6 mm. 

 wide; panicle pale, narrow, open, 

 mostly 30 to 60 cm. long, the branches 

 crowded, straight, stiffly ascending, 

 the branchlets appressed, closely flow- 

 ered from the base or nearly so ; spike- 

 lets 2 to 2.5 mm. long, the first glume 

 about one-third as long, the second 

 two-thirds to three-fourths as long, 

 acute; lemma and palea about equal. 

 91 — Mesas and valleys, southern 

 and western Texas and Oklahoma to 

 southern California and central Mex- 

 ico. Useful for grazing when young; 



Figure 618. — Sporobolus texanus. Panicle, X H; 

 glumes and floret with caryopsis, X 10. (Nealley, 

 Tex.) 



30. Sporobolus tharpii Hitchc. 



(Fig. 619.) Perennial, densely tufted; 

 culms 60 to 100 cm. tall; sheaths gla- 

 brous, the lower firm, loose, shining; 



