The President's Address. By Lord Avebury. 



155 



but in C. hirta they are hairy, which perhaps may serve the same 

 purpose. 



In C. pulicaris the utricle is lanceolate, compressed, shining, 

 and more or less reflexed when mature. This may evidently lead 

 to their being carried off. 



Gramine.e (Grasses). — The Graminese comprise over 3000 

 species. They range all over the world, and in stature range from 

 an inch to 80 feet. 



The flowers are in spikelets, which are arranged in spikes, 

 racemes, or panicles. Each spikelet consists of (1) one, two, or 



Fig. 31. 

 Wheat: Spikelet. 



Fig. 32. 

 Wheat : Glume. 



Fig. 33. 

 Wheat : outer Glurnelle. 



Fig. 34. 

 Wheat : inner Glurnelle. 



Fig. 35. 

 Wheat : Caryopsis. 



(Figs. 31-5 from Maout and Decaisne's " Descriptive 



and Analytical BotaDy." 



more scales or bracts, known as " glumes," arranged alternately on 

 opposite sides of the spikelet, and with their faces towards the axis ; 

 (2) of flowering glumes, each inclosing (3) a smaller scale, known 

 as a pale or palea. Inside this palea is (4) the real flower, composed 

 of two minute scales, known as lodicules, three (rarely two or six) 

 stamens, and a 1 -celled 1-ovuled ovary, with two more or less 

 feathery styles. 



The fruit or grain contains a single seed, consisting of the true 

 seed and the pericarp, sometimes free, at others adhering to the 

 persisting palea. The embryo lies outside of the albumen, which 

 is gradually absorbed by the cotyledon (scutellum). When this is 

 completed, the cotyledon shrivels up and perishes, by which time 



M 2 



