72 
SOME COLORADO GRASSES. 
DESCHAMPSIA CyESPITOSA (Beauv.). 
(Hair Grass.) 
Culms smooth, erect, tufted, from fibrous roots; leaves 
chiefly in radical tufts, linear, involute, 3 to 12 inches 
long, scabrous on the margins ; ligule elongated, pointed ; 
panicle slender, virgate, nodding, 6 to 12 inches long; 
branches capillary, scabrous, spreading, distant, J to 4 
inches long; spikelets oblong, purplish, two-flowered; 
outer glumes about equal, lanceolate, acute, the lower one- 
nerved, the upper three-nerved at base, slightly exceeding 
the florets; flowering glume, with truncate, four or five¬ 
toothed, scarious apex, and a few, short, silky hairs at 
base; awn straight or slightly geniculate at the middle, 
scabrous, inserted at the base of the glume and slightly 
exceeding the outer ones. 
This species is confined to moist meadows and shady 
situations in the mountains, where it forms a large portion 
of the native hay. The culms arc too light to 
make the best hay, but it affords a large amount 
of good pasturage, as its radical leaves are numerous and 
ample in the more robust forms. 
ANALYSIS. 
Moisture_ 8.15 
Ash__ 13.86 
Fat_-_ 1.77 
Albuminoid nitrogen_ 8.05 
Crude fiber_ 27.40 
Nitrogen-free extract_ 48.92 
Total_100.00 
