614 



BOTANY OF THE LIVING PLANT 



pentacyclic, usually trimerous structure is more or less reduced in the number 

 of the parts. The name Glumiflorae refers to the fact that the bracts are 

 usually stiff and dry, and are called Glumes or Paleae, which constitute the 

 " chaff " of Grasses. The gynoecium is superior, and though it may be tri- 

 locular with numerous ovules in the less specialised forms, in the more 

 advanced Sedges and Grasses it is unilocular, and contains only a single ovule. 

 The fruit then matures as a Grain, or Nut. The plants are mostly annual or 

 perennial herbs, frequently with long internodes. The alternate leaves are 

 sheathing below, with a simple grass-like blade, and often a ligule projecting 

 upwards at the junction of sheath and blade. 



Family : Juncaceae. Example : Field Wood-Rush. 



(8) The Field Wood-rush (Luzula campestris, Willd.) is a perennial very 

 common on poor grass land. It has a Grass-like habit, but its flowers are 



Fig. 461. 

 J uncus lamprocarpus. a, Part of an 

 inflorescence ; single flower {b) and gynoe- 

 cium (c) magnified. (Strasburger.) 



Fig. 462. 



Eriophorum augusiifolium. 1, inflorescence. 2, a 

 single spikelet. 3, single flower. 4, flower with bract 

 removed. 5, fruit. (After Hoffmann ; 1, about nat. 

 size; the others x 3-5.) (Strasburger.) 



constructed on the Lily-type. The root-stock produces leaves with sheath 

 and blade, but no ligule. The axis elongates upwards into an inflorescence 



