The drought resistance of young seedlings of Stylosanthes humilis (H.B.K.) and Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koern. was investigated in the field at Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, and in controlled environment chambers. S. humilis survived drought better than did D. ciliaris, both in the field and in the laboratory. This difference could not be explained by differences in resistance to either heat or desiccation, or to differences in initial rates of root penetration. The difference might be due in part to the slower leaf development of the legume, which conserves water, and to the faster rate of root growth. Droght avoidance mechanisms are more important for survival than physiological resistance; these differences in field resistance are important in determining the proportions of the species in pasture.