Page:Zacaton as a paper-making material (IA zacatonaspaperma309bran).pdf/7

 ZACATON AS A PAPER-MAKING MATERIAL.

3

BOTANICAL HISTORY AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF ZACATON.

The genus Epicampes was established by Dr. J. S. Presl, of the 1 University of Prague, in his treatment of the Graminese in 1830. The type species of the genus is Epicampes strictus, which Presl on plate 39

figures

of his

work.

The following characterization

of the

genus

is

taken from Scribner: 2

Haenk. 1:235, t. 39. 1830. Spikelets small, 1-flowered. membranaceous, slightly unequal, convex on the back, carinate, often finely 3-nerved; flowering glumes 3-nerved, obtuse or emarginate, a little shorter or about the length of the empty glumes, and tipped with a slender, usually rather Stamens 3. Styles distinct, short; stigmas short awn, which is rarely wanting. plumose. Grain included within the glumes, free. Tall, perennial grasses with usually very long, spikelike, many-flowered panicles.

Epicampes

Presl, Bel.

Empty glumes

2,

The genus belongs

to the tribe Agrostidese of Engler

and Prantl, 3

This Old making in the World, the raw for paper used grass is extensively Tripoli. The Algeria, and from Spain, chiefly material coming 4 has received several common names, species Epicampes macroura of its roots in the manufacture utilization the to refer which most of wire-grass, and rice-root grass are grass, Broom-root of brushes. in this case, has no relation to Rice, names. English common the but the name arises from the of commerce, grain rice well-known the to

which

the true esparto, Stipa tenacissima L., also belongs.

K. B.

Reliquiae Haenkeanae ...

1

Presl,

2

Scribner, F. L.

American grasses—III.

v. 1,

U.

S.

p'. 235, pi. 39. Pragae, 1830. Dept. Agr., Div. Agros. Bui.

20, p. 75, 1900.

Haeckel, Ernst. Gramineae (echte Graser). In Engler, Adolf, and Prantl, K. A. E. Die Natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien ... T. 2, AM, 2, p. 45, 50. Leipzig, 1887. < This grass was first brought to the senior writer's attention in December, 1909, by Mr. L. H. Dewey, Botanist in Charge of Fiber Investigations, who transmitted a bundle of the grass tops for possible test. s

The sample weighed between 2 and 3 pounds and had been sent to Mr. Dewey from Mexico by the Ox Fiber Brush Co. of Frederick, Md. Subsequently, Mr. O. F. Cook, Bionomist in Charge of Crop Acclimatization and Adaptation Investigations, directed the writer's attention to certain notes of his on Epicampes previously published. (Cook, O. F. Vegetation affected by agriculture in Central America. U. S. Dept. ,

Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 145, p. 19-20, 1909.) These notes are of sufficient interest, showing the size, Discussing the resistance, and aggressiveness of the grass, to warrant quoting them in this connection.

distribution of pines

and oaks

as determined

by the

clearing of land, Mr.

Cook

says:

the characteristic that enables the pines to establish themselves in open grass lands. Young pines with the growing bud surrounded by many green needles can survive fires that kill seedlings of other plants. As the trees grow larger they are protected by a thickened bark which is a very poor con-

'Ability to resist

fire is

ductor of heat and not readily combustible.

Nevertheless, the survival of the pines depends on the chance which prevent the accumulation of grass in large quantities. With grass enough to burn, even large pines may be killed by fire and the pine forest driven back from areas it has already occupied. In this way a species of wire-grass (Epicampes) is destroying forests of alders and pines on the upper slopes of the Vulcan de Agua in Guatemala. Before the access of fires this grass appears to have been confined to the crater and to the very dry upper slopes, where the pine trees are small and scattering. Now that the belts of humid forests lower down have been broken by clearings the grass has the assistance of fire and is destroying the trees with increasing rapidity. "There are no springs or streams on the upper slopes of the volcano, so that the grass is not pastured. Its long wiry stems and leaves accumulate until there are quantities of fuel sufficient to kill large trees and to drive back the forest for long distances at each conflagration. The lower the grass comes the more luxuriant its growth and the more destructive the next fire. This will continue as long as the grass is ungrazed or care is not taken to burn the grass every year in order to prevent the accumulation of dangerous quantities of

frequent

fires

of fuel.

"The

roots of this grass are well protected from the fire by masses of the closely packed stems. These remain wet while everything else is thoroughly dried. Except in rainy weather, no water can be obtained from the extremely coarse and loose volcanic ashes and rocks of which the upper parts of the mountain are composed." tufts