294 GRAMINE.E. [Xarthecium. 



mity. — Name from vapOij?, a rod, probably from the elon- 

 gated straight raceme of flowers. 



Hexandria. Monogynia. 



1. N. ossifragum, Huds. Lancashire Bog-Asphodel. Leaves 

 linear, uniform; pedicels with bracteas above the middle; 

 stamens much shorter than the perianth. Br. Fl. 1. p. 158. 

 E. FL v. ii. p. 151. E. Bot. t. 535. 



Wet places in moors and on mountains, frequent. Fl. Jul}', Aug. 

 1L. — Six to eight inches high, decumbent at the base. Roots creep- 

 ing. Leaves all radical, uniform, equitant, striated, about half as long 

 as the scape, which has many scales or bracteas. Seeds with a very 

 long arillus, forming an appendage to each extremity, attached to a 

 longitudinal receptacle on each valve ; the receptacles form the disse- 

 piments. 



Subclass II. GLUMACE^E. Lindl. 



Flowers without any perianth (unless the bristles in some 

 Cyperacea?, or the curious urceolate covering to the ovary in 

 Carex, can be considered such) ; but enclosed within imbricated, 

 membranous, or chaffy scales or bracteas. 



Ord. 89. GRAMINE.E. Jitss. Grass Family. 



Flowers perfect, sometimes monoecious or polygamous. Glume 

 (calyx, L.J generally 2-valved, 1 — 2-flowered, or many-flowered 

 in a distichous manner, upon a common rachis. Palea? 

 (Perianth, Br. Corolla, L.) resembling the glume, generally 

 2, rarely 1-valved : the valves dissimilar, the outer often keeled, 

 1 — 3 or many-nerved, awned or awnless, the inner one gene- 

 rally 2-nerved and awnless, rarely with two awns; sometimes 

 wanting. Scales two, (or one,) hypogynous, succulent, minute, 

 generally collateral, and situated between the exterior valve of 

 the pal x and the stamens, sometimes opposite, and alternating 

 •with the valves ; sometimes wanting. Stamens hypogynous, 

 definite [Pariana excepted), generally 3, sometimes 1 — 2, or 6, 

 rarely 4 : anthers 3-celled, forked at each extremity. Ovary 1, 

 1-seeded. Styles generally 2, distinct or combined below, 

 sometimes 1 — 3. Stigmas feathery or hispid. Pericarp adnate 

 with the seed (caryopsis, Rich.), membranaceous. Albumen 

 farinaceous. Embryo in the base of the outside of the albumen, 

 monocotyledonous ; the cot}dedon scutelliform, fleshy. Plu- 

 mule naked, included in a peculiar sheath, its primary leaflets 

 gradually changing into perfect leaves. — Plants of every part of 



