Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


plant breeders are vigorous in growth habit, resistant to leaf-
spot diseases and more cold-resistant than common Bermuda
(Fig. 29). Coastal and No. 99 varieties appear to be promis-
 ing grazing plants.7
 These improved Ber-
 muda varieties seed
 sparsely or not at all;
 pastures are estab-
 / lished by planting
 Sj underground runners
 \ f or stems.
 / The Bermuda
 i' grasses are best
 S/ adapted to fertile
 soils not subject to
 flooding. On the bet-
 ter drained flat pine-
 Sland soils they thrive
 \ best when limed and
 f fertilized.
 S/ Bermuda grasses
 Smay be disked or
 S" plowed after they are
 S well sodded, as this
 V stimulates the next
 Season's growth. Oats
 ,'" F L for winter grazing
 may be planted after
 disking or plowing.
 Para Grass (Pani-
 cum purpurascens
 Raddi.) is a rank-
 Lgrowing leafy peren-
 FIG. 28.-ST. LUCIE BERMUDA GRASS. nial with long, large
 It is similar to common, but has only surface sr e runners
 runners and does not produce many seedstalks. f ae run
 which root at the
 joints, giving rise to independent plants. It grows 3 to 5 feet
 in height (Fig. 30). The leaves are generally 4 to 12 inches
 long and 1/2 inch or less in width. This grass does not seed
 heavily in Florida and is established by spreading runners or

 SG. W. Burton. Coastal Bermuda Grass. Georgia Coastal Plain Exp.
 Sta. Circ. 10:1-10. 1943.