PAPILIOMCEAE 



Petal ostcmo n alb if l orum , Prairio Clover, is a perennial 

 legume with woody root and caudox and tough, wiry stems. In general 

 appearance it resembles a Dalca but the heads of flowers are very 

 compact and the leaves and stems less glandular than most of the 

 Daloas. Its range is very wide in the Rocky Mountains and the 

 west generally. Commonly it is considered rather unpalatable but 

 in certain quarters of Mew Mexico and Arizona it seems to be quite 

 heavily browsed, especially by sheep and goats. It is doubtful 

 whether the plant can be made to grow in sufficient abundance to 

 constitute a real agent in controlling erosion. However, it fre- 

 quently occurs naturally in some abundance. 



Tophrosia spp . There arc several species of Tephrosia in 

 extreme southern Arizona raid in Hew Mexico. An eastern species, 

 T» virginiana , is cultivated for the rotenonc content of its roots. 

 Thus far the southwestern species have not shown sufficient rotenone 

 content to be of commercial significance. Most of them are rather 

 low in forage value but probably constitute fair erosion control 

 agents. T. tenella is one of the best species from, this standpoint 

 as it forms widely spreading clumps on loose rocky slopes. It is 

 particularly abundant in the Baboquivari Mountains where it grows 

 to be perhaps two feet in height and produces immense quantities 

 of pods and small beans. It is probable that it is a significant 

 bird food plant. 



* Bonthamanth a edwardsii has been frequently mistaken for 

 Tephrosia in the southwest. The long slender pods closely resemble 

 those of I. tone 1 1a except that the pod has a peculiar cross-lined 

 appearance. The plant itself is low and has silvery leaflets. It 

 forms pure stands in rather sandy dry bottoms whore the grazing is 

 not too severe. It seems to be quite heavily browsed* Because of 

 the rhizomatous character of the roots and the fact that it forms 

 a dense carpet en the ground, it should be tried in the nursery and 

 in observational work. 



Alhagi camel or urn, the Camel Thorn, was introduced into the 

 United States from Asia Minor in comparatively recent years. The 

 State of California has spent large sums in an attempt to eradicate 



it. The plant has been introduced into several parts of New Mexico 

 and Arizona. North of Albuquerque it has become well established 

 on sandy bottom land and has become a very distinct pest because 

 of its persistence in cultivated lands. It has long slender hori- 

 zontal roots which sprout and which are very difficult to thoroughly 

 eradicate. The tops are slender and quite thorny. While this plant 

 is considered a distinct pest at the present time, it has its good 

 points, and like the Russian Thistle, may sometime be considered a 

 godsend in certain sections of the country. It is also relatively 



-89- 



