Endogens.J GLUMALES. 105 



Alliance VII. GLUMALES. — The Glumal Alliance. 

 Diagnosis. — Glumaceous Endogens. 



The great mass of herbage kno^N-n by the name of Sedges and Grasses, constitutes 

 perhaps a twelfth part of the described species of flowering plants, and at least nine- 

 tenths of the number of indi^•iduals composing the vegetation of the world ; for it is the 

 chief source of that verdure wliich covers the earth of northern countries with a gay carpet 

 during the months of winter. Such forms of vegetation are provided by nature with time 

 flowers, that is to say, with stamens and pistils, the action of the former of which upon tlie 

 latter is indispensable for the creation of a seed ; but there is little trace of the calyx and 

 corolla, which are commonly characteristic of the more perfect races of plants ; not that 

 floral envelopes are wanting, but they do not assume the whorled or ringed position of 

 the parts wliich form a calyx and corolla ; they merely consist of minute green or brown 

 bracts placed one over the other, and sometimes appearing to be united by their edges. 

 There is also gi'eat simphcity in their pistil, but one o"vule being formed in each caAnty, 

 whatever number of carpels (radicated by the stigmas) may be employed in the con- 

 struction of it. Their fohage is as simple as it can be to have any considerable degree 

 of development, consisting of fine thread- shaped veins nmning side by side from one 

 end of the leaf to the other. 



It is usual to restrict the tenn glumaceous to Grasses and Sedges ; but there seems 

 no intelhgible reason why the Cordleafs (Restiacese,) Pipeworts (Eriocaulacese,) and 

 Bristleworts (Desvauxiacese,) should be omitted, for they have precisely the same 

 habit and the same substitution of imbricated scales for calyx and corolla. It is only 

 among the Pipeworts that we have the beginning of a calyx, in the form of a mem- 

 branous tube surrounding the ovary. They do not, however, uidicate a more complex 

 condition ; rather less so indeed than in Grasses and Sedges ; for their pistils are perfectly 

 simple, while those of the latter are invariably formed by the coahtioii of at least 2 

 earpellary leaves for each cavity of the ovary. 



Two divisions may be formed among the orders, viz. : — 



1. 0^-ule erect or ascending ; pistil compound. — GraminacecB and CyperacecB. 



2. 0\-ules pendulous ; pistil simple. — Dcsvauxiacece, Restlacece, Eriocaidacece. 



The fii'st set touch Palms, the latter Rushes ; the whole, in consequence of their 

 spiked-mflorescence, scaly floral envelopes, and great tendency to a separation of the 

 sexes, pass naturally into Buh'ush worts (Typhacese). 



Natural Orders of Glumals. 

 Ovar. I -celled, with 2 or more distinct (or united) styles ; ovule \na rr..^.,v..^T,^ 



■,. 7 7j7 77 >Zif. vjrRAMI>ACEjE. 



ascending ; emoryo lateral, naked J 



Ovar. l-celled, loith 2 or more (distinct or) imited styles ; ovule 1 oq Cyperace^ 



erect, emlryo basal J * 



Ovar. several (sometimes united) with 1 style to each; ovule pen- \o-\ Desvauxiace^ 



dulous; glumes only; st. 1-2 ; anth. \-celled; embryo terminal j 

 Ovar. \-2-3-celled, with 2 or 3 styles ahoays; ovule pendulous ; \ o.-, RE-TiiCE^ 



glumes only ; St. 2.3; anth. \-celled; embryo terminal ...]"' 

 Ovar. 2-3-celled, with 1 stijle to each cell; ovule pendidous ; a mem- 1 



hranous 3-lobed cup within the glumes ; anthers 2-celled ; em- \- 33. Eriocaulacese. 



bryo terminal J 



