CARPET GRASS 
181 
clamp soil and on river banks. It is of 
great value in preventing the erosion of 
sandy land and is in consequence known 
as a “sand-binder.” In Florida it would 
be a boon for that purpose alone. Stock 
will eat it; and it holds up its head Avlien 
everything else is burned up by the sun. 
The flowers are small, white, resembling' 
those of the sweet-scented garden verbena 
from China, which belongs to the same 
genus. Both species belong to the Verbe- 
naceae, or verbena family. Common car¬ 
pet grass is widely distributed in the 
warmer regions of North America, extend¬ 
ing from Central America and the West 
Indies to Florida, Georgia, and Texas. It 
is very abundant in Sutter County and in 
the Sacramento Valley, California, carpet¬ 
ing the slopes of the Sacramento River, 
where it produces a large amount of honey. 
It blooms from May until September. The 
honey is white, of the mildest flavor, and 
crystallizes with a very fine grain. In 
Texas carpet grass grows along rivers and 
small streams, but is of little importance 
as a honey plant. 
OTHER SPECIES OF CARPET GRASS. 
The carpet grasses, of which there are 
about 100 species, belong chiefly to the 
warmer regions of the Old and New 
Worlds; but are most abundant in tropical 
and subtropical America. They yield much 
nectar in Central America and are also 
valuable honey plants in the West Indies 
find the Bermudas. There are about nine 
species in the United States distributed 
over an area extending from New Jersey 
Catnip. 
