XRAiIERIACEAE 



Krameri a glandulosa, P.hatany, The ?'ramerias are curious 

 shrubs, so curious that taxonomists disagree about their relatives. 

 Some say they go in with the peas and some say they are related to 

 the millcwort. The flowers are pea-like but the sepals are the showy 

 part and there are only four stamens. The fruit is almost like a 

 nut and is covered with prickle?;. The above species is an excel- 

 lent browse plant and is widely distributed: Ve stern. Texas through 

 southern Hew Mexico and southern Arizona to southern Utah, Nevada 

 and California. It also extends from Chihuahua to Lower California 

 in Hexico. Dry rocky sites are nost suitable to it. In the nursery 

 it has proved curious, A large bed next to a plot of Par ryel la 

 f ilif ol ia was planted to Krameria gla ndu losa * The young plants 

 w r ero uniform upon gemination. Later, however, all the plants away 

 from the Parryella bed died while those close to it began to grow 

 rapidly. Shade? No, for the Kramer ia was south of the Parryella 

 and when tho Kramer ia plants began to show best growth the Parryella 

 had been dug up, Tho Parryella sprouted from the roots. , There is 

 no evidence of damr.ro to the Parryella and no apparent evidence of 

 root parasitism. It scorns likely that efforts to grow Krameria 

 without proper o.ssociation with certain selected plants of symbio- 

 tic importance to them, will neet with failure, 



Kra meria secundif lora strikingly resembles K. glandulosa . 

 It, however, is woody only at tho base and the top trails on the 

 ground. As it is more herbaceous than gland ulosa , it is much 

 bettor forage. This ranges as far east as Florida but extends only 

 as far v. r est as central Arizona, whereas K. glandulosa extends into 

 southern California but docs not grow further east than western 

 Texas. Doth species extend far down, into Hexico. 



There are other species of Krameria which may prove to be 

 important . 



CA33IACEAS 



Hof f mans egg ia dens if lora , usually called Hog Potato, is com- 

 mon in waste places and abandoned lands from southwe stern Texas to 

 southern California, southern Kevada and southern Utah, It is a 

 low, herbaceous leguminous perennial with numerous thick, tuberous 

 roots, finely divided leaves and yellow flowers. The roots have 

 been used in the past for human food, especially by the Indians, and 

 hegs are very fond of them. Since this plant occupies very poor 

 wasteland raid since it is a soil binder and a legume, it is worthy 

 of considerable attention. It should be possible bv selection and 

 perhaps breeding, to produce plants which will fill a real niche 

 in the economy of the southwest. There are several other species, 

 some of which may bo suitable for r eve get at ion work. 



