NATURAL ORDER GRAMINEA, 
Flowers hermaphrodite, or unisexual. Stamens usually 3 in a whorl, 
rarely by abortion reduced to 2, or 1, or by duplication raised to many. 
Ovary entire, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; usually with two, rarely one or three 
styles, free or united at the base. Fruit a small seed-like nut or eary- 
opsis, the thin membranaceous pericarp usually closely adnate to the 
seed, in a few genera free and loosely surrounding the seed. Embryo 
small on one side of the base of the albumen. The floral organs in 
the axils of enveloping chaff-like scales or bracts, the one usually in- 
closing the flower called a palet, usually 2- rarely 1-nerved; another scale 
standing opposite this and usually more or less completely inclosing it 
called the flowering or floral glume, usually 3- to many-nerved.—Usually 
one to several minute scales called lodicules between the glume or palet 
and ovary; these, together with the palet, sometimes wanting. The 
parts above enumerated constitute a spikelet, which may be solitary, 
and inclosed by another pair of bracts called empty glumes, or there 
may be two to many spikelets, alternating on a rachis with a pair, or 
sometimes several empty glumes below, the whole constituting a several- 
or many-flowered spikelet. The spikelets may be variously grouped in 
spikes, racemes, or panicles, 
Grasses are usually herbaceous, erect, or decumbent, or creeping and 
rooting at the lower nodes, sometimes suffrutescent, shrubby, or arbo- 
rescent, the culms usually hollow between the closed nodes. Leaves al- 
ternate, parallel veined, usually long and narrow, sheathing the stem 
at their base, often having at the top of the sheath within a scarious or 
ciliate appendage called a ligule. 
SYNOPSIS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 
1. Tribe MAYDEZE. 
Inflorescence moncecious, spicate, the male and female spikes dis- 
tinct and on different parts of the plant or connected; when connected 
tue male flowers occupying the upper portion of the spike or spikes, 
and the female or fertile flowers the lower part. 
The genus Coix is frequently cultivated under the name of Job’s 
tears. 
12974—No. 1——_1__ [Feb. 25, 1892]. 1 
