Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


improved greatly when grown with legumes.
 Bahia Grass.-There are 3 varieties of Bahia grass (Paspalum
notatum FlUgge)--common, Paraguay and Pensacola. Common
Bahia grass (Fig. 25) is a low-growing perennial spreading by
short, stout, woody runners and by seed. The runners are
rooted heavily with large fibrous roots which form dense, tough
sods, even on drought sandy soils. The leaf blades are gen-
erally hairy on the margins and less than 1/ inch wide. This
grass seeds prolifically during summer, the seedstalks are 1 to
21/2 feet high and usually have 2 (sometimes 3) branches. The
branches on the seedstalks are about 21/2 inches long. The seeds
are oval in shape, yellowish-green in color, glossy in appearance
and about 1/8 inch in diameter.


















 FIG. 24.-NATURAL PASTURE OF CARPET GRASS.
 The wiregrass on this moist sandy soil was closely grazed. Carpet
 grass was not seeded, the seed was spread by cattle. Chopping will destroy
 the palmetto.

 Bahia grass is established with seed planted 1/2 to 1 inch in
 depth at the rate of 10 to 20 pounds per acre. The seed often
 germinate slowly because they are surrounded by a tough, waxy
 coat which does not allow water to enter for germination. Seed
 scarification with sulphuric acid has encouraged rapid germi-
 nation when good quality seed is treated. Most of the seed is
 imported from Cuba and South America, but the grass seeds
 readily in Florida. Seed from established pastures should be