THE GRASSES. 



53 



but for the whole monocotyledonous class, so called. 

 In the Grasses, then, there are no eotyledones ; no true 

 leaves as well distinguished from the glume, when fur- 

 nished with articulated appendages ; no true corolla or 

 calyx; three perfect stamens, in common, though 

 sometimes (as in Leersia but a single one) ; no peri- 

 carp ; and but a single seed to two stigmas (or styles, 

 as they are commonly imagined, and so classed 

 chiefly in Digynia). 



The genera of Grasses are distributed commonly 

 into grand divisions for convenience, as you will find 

 in most of the books which treat of the species ; and 

 though the false flowers of the Grasses, (for such I 

 must consider them) are often minute, their uniformity 

 is such, as to leave no room scarcely for ambiguity 

 when all the parts are examined ; there are frequent- 

 ly two sets of glumes, of two valves each ; the inner, 

 inclosing either three stamens, when in flower, or a 

 single seed when in fruit- 

 In Timothy or Herd's grass (Phleum pratense), the 

 longcylindric spike or head, as it is called, consists of 

 very many minute flowers ; the outer or calyx glume is 

 very peculiar, each valve being flattened and obtuse, 

 though terminated by a very short bristle, within 

 these two truncated valves is the corolla glume con- 

 sisting also of two awnless or simple valves. 



The Jllopecurm or Foxtail-grass resembles the 

 Herd's grass, but flowers earlier, bears a soft, in place 

 of a rough spike, and a corolla glume of but one valve, 

 bearing an awn on the back. 



In the Poa, or Meadow grass, of which there are 

 many species, the flowers are in small heads, called 

 spikelets, and have a general calyx glume, including 

 from 3, or 5, to 40 flower-glumes, which are all 

 consequently destitute of any thing more than the 

 two-valved general calyx, and are without any proper 

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