THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 17 



H. Brewer on Pasture aud Forage Plants." In the following statement I have often 

 availed myself of some items from it. 



The term " bunch grass" has been applied to several kinds, aud we will name those 

 prominently known : 



The Fesiuca scabreUa is the one best known on the Pacific slope, ranging from Cali- 

 fornia to Oregon and Idaho. 



The Fesiuca occidentalis is also fouud there. 



The Festuca ovina (or sheep grass) in several varieties is found through the whole 

 region of winter grazing, aud seems the world over to be found wherever sheep graze. 



Eriocoma ciisjnclata is one of the valuable bunch grasses generally prevaleut. 



Of the grasses termed " grama " Eragrostis po(BOides and Eragrostis oxylepis are called 

 grama grasses. The former in Texas is sometimes called one of the buffalo grasses. 



Munroa sguarrosa, Mr. Brewer says, is a buffalo grass of the north, and one of the 

 grama grasses of Texas. Calamagrostis longifolia has a wide range and is sometimes 

 called "mesquit" and grama grass, and Calamagrosiis canadensis, sometimes called 

 " blue joint." 



The terms " gama" and ''grama" are not interchangeable. Mr. Brewer says that 

 Tripsacum daciyJoides is the "gama grass" of the South — a tall, coarse grass, from 3 to 

 7 feet high — and is found from Texas to Illinpis and Connecticut. 



Though much confusion of names is in popular use in reference to all the grasses it 

 seems to be admitted that the term " buffalo grass " is applied most justly to Bucliloe 

 dactyJoides. It is one of the most nutritious of grasses aud pervades the whole range 

 of the Rocky Mountain plateaus. 



The following is tlie letter of Dr. Vasey, referred to iu the preceding 

 paper : 



Deah Sir : In reply to your request I offer the following remarks on the native 

 grasses of the great plains and arid portions of the West. These grasses furnish the 

 .chief resource of the immense herds of buffaloes and the vast droves of donvestic ani- 

 mals which feed upon the plains, and from the habit of growth are, for the most part, 

 known by the name of hunch grasses. They are chiefly grasses of rigid aspect, at least 

 as respects their culms and leaves, some of them, however, forming a diffuse and ele- 

 gant panicle of flowers. The most important of the bunch grasses may be briefly 

 mentioned as follows : 



Of the genus Stipa there are several species. Stijm comata and Stipa setigera occur 

 abundantly in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and the drier regions of California, reach- 

 ing to Oregon. In Colorado, Kansas, and all the prairie region northward, stretching 

 into British America, the Stipa juncea is the principal one of the genus. On the higher 

 plateaus and near the mountains the Stijja viridida is very common, extending from 

 Arizona to Oregon and British America. Somewhat related botanically is Eriocoma 

 cusjndafa, a very rigid bunch grass with a fine, handsome panicle of flowers. It is 

 equally widespread with the preceding. Another widely-diffused grass is Aira caespi- 

 tosa, varying much in size and thriftiuess according to the altitude and amount of 

 moisture where it grows, but always having a light, elegant, spreading panicle of 

 silvery-gray flowers. 



One of the most exteusively-diffused grasses is Koeleria cristata, varying in height 

 from one foot to two aud a half feet, with a narrow and closely-flowered spike. Sev- 

 eral species of fescue grass (Festuca) are intermixed with the vegetation in varying 

 proportions; the most important of these are probably the Festuca ovina, in several 

 varieties, and Festuca scahreUa,t\ie latter especially in California, Oregon, and Wash- 

 ington. 



The genus Calamagrostis furnishes several species, which contribute largely to the 

 vegetation of this region. They are mostly tall, stiff, and coarse grasses, but leafy, 

 and some of them very nutritious. Of these Calamagrosiis sylvatica and C. stricta are 

 2218 GR 2 



