2 MISC. PUBLICATION 243, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Cuba, which, though fairly well known to botanists, had many out- 
of-the-way places that have yielded species of local distribution. 
There are a few changes in names due to an increased knowledge of 
the taxonomy of the grass family, and several other changes have been 
made because the earlier work followed the American code whereas 
the present work is in accord with the International Rules of Botanical 
Nomenclature. 
As in the earlier work, the term ‘‘West Indies”’ as here used includes 
not only the West Indies proper but also Bermuda, the Bahamas, 
Trinidad, and Tobago, but excludes the Dutch islands off the coast 
of Venezuela. 
ECONOMIC GRASSES 
The principal economic grasses of the West Indies are sugarcane 
and rice. Corn (Zea mays) is also widely grown, and grasses furnish 
the greater part of the forage for domestic animals. 
FORAGE GRASSES 
Only a few grasses are grown for forage. Hay is seldom produced 
because green forage is usually available throughout the year. Much 
of the fodder is cut and fed while fresh. Many native species are 
utilized for pasture. Among them are Bermuda grass and several 
species of Paspalum and of Aronopus. The cultivated species are the 
following: 
Guinea grass (Panicum maximum). An erect rather robust peren- 
nial, propagated usually by division of the clump. Widespread at 
low altitudes as an escape from cultivation, Guinea grass is used for 
pasture and is cut and fed green. It is a native of Africa but is now 
distributed throughout the Tropics of both hemispheres. In Cuba 
it is called hierba Guinea. 
Parad grass (Panicum purpurascens). A straggling perennial form- 
ing a tangled mass along the banks of streams and ditches. Para 
grass is easily propagated from cuttings of the stems or from the long 
runners. It is used for pasture on wet land and is cut and fed green. 
It is widespread in the lowland Tropics of America and to a less extent 
in the Tropics of the Old World. Other common names are: Parana, 
Dutch grass, Scotch grass, hierba Paral, hierba bruja, and malojilla, 
though the latter name applies more properly to Hriochloa polystachya. 
Malojilla (mal-o-héya) (Hriochloa polystachya). ‘This grass resem- 
bles Parad grass but differs in the spikelet characters. It grows in 
the same kind of habitat as does Para grass and is not infrequently 
found growing with it. Malojilla is found rather commonly in 
Puerto Rico and infrequently in a few other islands. It appears to 
have the same forage value as Parad grass. In the United States 
this grass has been called Carib grass. 
Sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense). An annual com- 
monly grown in the southern United States and now rather fre- 
quently cultivated for green forage on the larger estates in the West 
Indies, especially in Cuba. Other sorghums, such as sorgo (sweet 
sorghum), kafir, and durra, are occasionally grown for green forage. 
Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). This common tropical 
African forage grass was introduced rather recently into the semi- 
tropical parts of the United States and has been tried at several ex- 
periment stations in tropical America. It is now coming into favor 
