GRAMINEAE 



Johnson grass. This is an ideal grass for swales where floods give 

 a little extra water. It seems to be one that may be expected to 

 escape and to carry on for itself once it is established in favor- 

 able sites. 



*CaJ.amovilfa gigantea, Giant Sand Grass. There are several 

 grasses which nay prove very valuable in our erosion control work 

 which must be classed as special use plants. This is true of our 

 giant Calamovilfa. It cannot be recommended as a forage plant or 

 even for general erosion control purposes but it is par excellence 

 as a sand binder, particularly along dry desert washes such as are 

 to be found in the Petrified Forest of Arizona. Its natural dis- 

 tribution is North Dakota to Texas and west to Arizona. Not only 

 does it have rhizomes which quite effectually bind the sand but it 

 is of sufficient size (1-2 meters high), to check the winds. Up to 

 1938 we had been able to obtain only a handful of seed. This will 

 be used in the nursery where the plant can be kept under observa- 

 tion and possibly a small amount of seed produced. 



*Chloris berroi, Finger Grass. Some of the Chlorises are an- 

 nual weeds of rather low palatability. This is an exotic perennial 

 which forms dense stands and seeds itself vigorously at Tucson. Up 

 to the ^resent we have not tried any experiment to determine its 

 palatability except that we know it is sufficiently tasty to please 

 jack rabbits. It thrives with little irrigation but has not been 

 tried on the range. At Shiprock it freezes out in winter but may 

 bo used as an annual in our colder regions. 



Chloris cucullata, Texas Finger Grass. In Western Texas 

 this Chloris appears more like an indifferent weed found occas- 

 ionally along bottom lands in the foothills, but plants in the nur- 

 sery are perhaps two feet tall and form excellent large, leafy 

 clumps. It is a drought resistant grass which responds nicely to 

 a little care and water. 



Dactylis glonerata, Orchard Grass, has been so widely dis- 

 tributed tnat we no longer think of it as an exotic. Seed can be 

 obtained from seed houses. It is an excellent meadow and pasture 

 grass and escapes rapidly. It Is not well adapted to our desert 

 types but grows woll in moist cites at practically all altitudes. 



Digitaria e riant ha var. stolonifera. This exotic is related 

 to the common crab grass found in lawns and orchards. It is coar- 

 ser and a more vigorous grower with long stolons. It has not been 

 tried on the range but indications are that where there is a little 

 extra moisture it will be an excellent soil binder and furnish good 

 forage. It seems hardy at Tucson. 



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