GRAJIINEAE 



The range of the Giant Sacaton is western Texas to southern 

 California and. Llexico. 



In the nursery the Giant Sacaton is easily propagated. Its 

 seed production, iwwever, is erratic. Twenty-three acres are being 

 planted for increase. This experiment wil] he conducted not only 

 on harvesting but also on methods of preventing the grass from form- 

 ing the very large clumps* 



Sporobolus f imbriatus . Packets of seed of two species of 

 dropseed were received from South Africa labeled Eragrostis. The 

 error is not surprising as the two bear a striking resemblance to 

 Eragro stis 3 pp. mentioned above. These have responded beautifully 

 in the nursery but experiments with them have been limited to nur- 

 sery performance. Further experimental work is called for before 

 definite results can be reported. The two collections have been 

 determined by Hrs. Agnes Chase, (Sr. Agrostologist in the United 

 States Department of Agriculture), as S. f im b riatu s. 



Trachypogon montufari, Crinkle-Awn. This is a grass similar 

 in habit to Elyonurus barbiculmis. V.'ith us it is confined to south- 

 western Texan" and extreme southern Arizona. It, however, extends 

 through Llexico and south to Argentina. It is frequently found with 

 Elyonu rus barbi culm is and ic doubtless similarly hardy. Because 

 of the awns it is probably inferior to 7), barbicul mis for forage. 



Trichaohnc culif ornica. This is our common Cottontop Grass, 

 frequent and sometimes abundant fro:" -western Texas to southern 

 California. Usually it is too scattering to be significant as a 

 coil erosion control agent but its swollen knotty base with tena- 

 cious roots suggests Its use for this purpose as well as for its 

 forage value. 



There seems to be much confusion with us on the identity of 

 some of our Tr ichachnes. Under T. calif ornica we have several 

 forms, all promising. I7e also have what we have called T, insularis 

 from the Baboquivari I fountains and from, western Texas which are by 

 no means exactly alike. Then we have picked up others which up to 

 now we have called Trich a chne so., but have since been determined 

 T. calif ornica, All are promising in nursery production. The seeds 

 for T^. pat o n s wore received from Texas, This is perhaps the most 

 promising with the possible exception of the T. insularis from the 

 Baboquivari hour-tains. Our nursery work on tmese must eventually 

 be followed by feeding experiments to determine palatability. In 

 some localities all of these are classed as undesirable weeds. 



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