avoidance in FLoraTeXTM is attributed primarily to its deep root system which penetrated over six feet in root columns (4). Cold Hardiness Low temperature hardiness is defined as susceptibility of meristematic tissue to kill at temperatures below 320F. Beard et al. (6) conducted cold stress simulation assessments on ma- ture sods of 19 bermudagrass cultivars. FLoraTexTM was ranked with 'Ormond' in the poorest group of cultivars, yet low tem- perature hardiness of both cultivars was equal to that of Ari- zona Common, 'Santa Ana', Texturf 10, and Tifway. The lat- ter four cultivars were also ranked in the best group as having high cold temperature hardiness. In the NTEP test (14), severe winterkill of all bermudagrasses was reported in states of Illi- nois (98%), Missouri (94%), and to a lesser extent in Mary- land (40%). FLoraTeXTM averaged 73% winterkill in Beltsville, MD, which was equal to that in Arizona Common, NuMex Sahara, and Sonesta. No winterkill was reported in any year when tested at two locations in Kansas and at three locations in Virginia. Fall Low Temperature Color Retention FLoraTeXTM ranked as one of the best bermudagrass culti- vars in terms of fall low temperature color retention or chill stress resistance at temperatures of 55 to 600F. This is a valu- able trait for late fall field sports. Among 24 bermudagrass cultivars evaluated over a 3-year period in Texas, FLoraTeXTM ranked with Texturf 10, Santa Ana, and Tifway as the best group of cultivars in terms of fall low temperature color retention (23). It also exhibited excellent fall and winter low tempera- ture color retention in Alabama (12), Arizona (12), Florida (9), Louisiana (14), Oklahoma (14), and Virginia Beach, VA (14). Spring Greenup Rate Early spring shoot greenup of FLoraTeXTM bermudagrass ranked very good among bermudagrass cultivars. This char- acter would be important for field sports such as baseball and soccer in order to facilitate recuperation from turf injury. In studies over a 3-year period in Texas, FLoraTeXTM ranked with the highest group including Midiron, Tufcote, 'U-3', and Vamont to greenup early in the spring in spite of cool soil tem- peratures (23). It also exhibited very early spring greenup in Alabama (12), Arizona (2, 12), Florida (9), and Louisiana (14). Wear Tolerance As with most bermudagrass cultivars, FLoraTeXTM exhib- ited good wear tolerance. Among 17 bermudagrass cultivars evaluated in Texas, FLoraTeXTM ranked mid-range with Ari- zona Common, Bayshore, and Everglades after 800 revolu- tions of a wear simulator (Table 5). Ormond, Texturf 10, and Tifway had superior wear tolerance. Shade Adaptation Like other bermudagrass cultivars, shade adaptation of FLoraTeXTM is poor. Thus, it should not be used in densely shaded areas. In studies by Beard and Sifers at College Sta- tion, Texas, none of 24 bermudagrass cultivars, including Table 5. Comparative leaf extension rate and width, canopy orientation, and shoot density in 1986 (24) and wear toler- ance in 1979 (5) of selected bermudagrass cultivars grown at College Station, Texas. Leaf Extension Canopy Shoot Residual Cultivar rate Width orientation density verduret mm d-' mm rating # ndm-2 g FLoraTeXTM 8.3 a* 1.3 a 4.8 a 202 bc 3.93 b Midlawn 7.7 a 1.2 a 4.8 a 280 ab Midiron 7.6 a 1.2 a 5.6 a 200 c Vamont 7.4 ab 1.4 a 4.8 a 230 bc - Arizona Common 7.3 ab 1.3 a 5.4 a 229 bc 3.92 b Tufcote 7.0 a-c 1.7 a 4.0 a 225 bc - Ormond 7.0 a-c 1.2 a 5.1 a 262 a-c 4.36 a Bayshore 6.6 a-c 1.3 a 4.7 a 289 ab 3.78 b Everglades 6.4 a-c 1.2 a 5.3 a 264 a-c 3.64 b Texturf 10 5.5 bc 1.4 a 4.9 a 204 bc 4.79 a Tifway 5.0 c 1.2 a 5.1 a 335 a 4.31 a t Residual verdure is tissue remaining after simulated traffic on turfs grown at low N rate of 0.5 pound N per 1000 square feet per growing month. Other variables were tested under high fertility of 2 pounds N per 1000 square feet per growing month. t Visual estimate based on scale of 0 = horizontal and 9 = vertical. * Means within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different (p=0.05) using Waller-Duncan k-ratio t test.