
          -13-

Grasses and legumes or forages

Palatable and nutritious annual grasses were found to be very
scarce in the early desert area.  Some are eaten by livestock only
when green and tender, while others were not touched at all, as some
of the fox-tail or brome types. Those of this type that were collected
were picked up because of belonging to genera on the want lists and
presumably are wanted for breeding trials, as Bromus and Aegylops.  It
was too early for even the desert perennials to be seeding, and most of
those were harsh and unpalatable and some not touched by animals, so
far as observed, as a bushy species of perennial Pennisetum collected
two years ago in Afghanistan.  On some of the higher elevations, as in
the Artemisia association, palatable perennial grasses were observed,
judging from the browse marks made by the wild gazelles and ibex. One 
of the better appears to be No. 14809 with brittle culms and short
hairy leaves sent in as an Oryzopsis but more probably a species of
Arrhenatherum, a "tall wheat grass".  Poa bulbosa, so abundant and
important as a sheep forage in Afghanistan was observed of only spotted
occurrence in ecotypes or varieties less attractive than the Afghan ones.

Several varieties of button and burr Medicagos were found in
both the Ahwaz and Shiraz areas, but were lacking in the drier Kerman
area.  A few of the varieties appeared as though they might be short-lived
perennials and the majority were of prostrate habit. Clovers or 
Trifolium and Lotus are also common in the first two areas and some
appear as having some experimental value as cover crops or in selective
breeding programs.  This group should become more interesting as the
higher elevations with better soils and moisture are reached later in

        