GIUHINEAE 



has long narrow leaves and forms dense clumps anchored to the ground 

 by a mass of fibrous roots. Tv. r o other grasses of similar habit but 

 not at all related are Dlepharone uron tricholepis and Fuhlenbergia 

 montana. These three often form the greater part of the upland 

 meadows and small parky in the pine timber. In places north of the 

 Grand Canyon Festuca idahoensis replaces F. arizorica. It is very 

 similar and the two are hard, to distinguish. 



Festuca elc.tior, meadow Fescue. Seed of this can be obtained 

 on the market. It is a common meadow grass suitable for more moist 

 sites at practically all altitudes. It is not extremely drought 

 resistant. It was introduced many years ago from Eurasia and has 

 escaped in many quarters about the country. It is worthy of careful 

 observational work in the field. 



Festuca arundinacea. This Fescue is very similar to F, 

 elatior and is probably no better or worse for erosion controT work. 

 It does well under irrigation at Tucson. 



♦ Hilar in belangeri. This is quite commonly called Curly 

 Fesquite. It ranges through western Texas, southern Hew Mexico, 

 southern Arizona, and northern Fcxico, where it often covers exten- 

 sive areas in pure stands. It is very aggressive, withstanding 

 drought and quite severe grazing. It seems to be spreading into 

 new territory. The sites en which it seems to thrive best are 

 rocky slopes and mesas where the soil is heavy. The culms arc 

 short but rather lone stolons arc produced which root at the nodes 

 and produce now bunches of grass, Fhile the sites on which it 

 grows arc not those which are usually subject to severe erosion, the 

 roots and stolons act as excellent soil binders. It is highly 

 palatable especially to cattle and horses. 



Our use of this valuable grass will be very limited unless 

 we are able to produce seed in the nurseries. In its native haunts 

 it fruits very sparsely and the ground is commonly so rocky that 

 seed cannot be collected with power or horse-drawn strippers. Six- 

 teen pounds of cleaned seed was collected in 1936 and this was used 

 in the nursery in increase plots, two acres being, planted at Pima. 



♦Hilar in jamesii, Galleta Grass. Grasses which can be 

 expected tc stage a come-back after severe overgrazing are few. 

 Among these few Galleta is outstanding. On stretches of land in 

 southern Utah, northern Arizona and northern Few Mexico where sheep 

 and cattle have bee-', run during extremely dry yesrs and where the 

 grass cover has all but disappeared, this gra 3 3 recovers rapidly 

 whore it is given the slightest chance. .'.lien you add to this its 

 high palatability end its excellent erosion control value due to 



