34 ON THE AWNS OF NEPAUL BARLEY. 
Barley. In fig. 1, the awn of the central spikelet is much dilated, 
whilst those of the lateral spikelets are entirely wanting. In fig. 2, the 
awn of the central spikelet becomes distorted at the spot where the 
two lateral expansions (which I shall call wings) originate. One of the 
lateral spikelets has the awn somewhat shortened, and this is without 
any lateral expansion; in theother, the awn is entirely abortive beyond 
the base of the wings, which gives to the apex of the palea a hastate 
character. This is the appearance frequently assumed by the awns of 
all the spikelets, and has given rise to the name “ trifureatum," (Seringe, 
Pl. V.) m a sub-variety. In fig. 3, the apices of the wings of the 
awn of the central spikelet are remarkably extended into long awn-like 
prócéssés, and have here assumed a forward direction, whilst their 
margins have united so as to form a kind of cucullus about the sum- 
mit, whilst the awn itself is abortive. In a figure (but without descrip- 
tion) given by Royle in his Plants of the Himalayah mountains, all 
the awns are thus represented ; and this condition constitutes (I believe) 
the sub-variety **egiceras." In one of the lateral spikelets (in fig. 3) 
the awn is completely abortive, though the wings are partially deve- 
loped, and in the other, the awn is reflexed from its base, whilst glume- 
like scales are developed from the apex. 
Numerous as are the modifications in form assumed by the awns, 
lhave met with no example which could not be explained upon the 
supposition of its having resulted from an effort, more or less distinctly 
manifested, to produce one or more adventitious buds from the axis of 
the awn itself. To illustrate this opinion more readily than by descrip- 
tion, I have placed the four letters z, a, 5, w, at corresponding points 
in the specimens represented in Pl. II. and HL. Thus:— 
æ, marks the position of the apex of the awn. 
a, the base of the adventitious bud. 
5, the “ basial” leaf of the bud (to be presently explained). 
w, the “ wings” or lateral expansions of the awn. 
The simplest modifieation presented by an’awn consists of -a slight 
degree of flexure in the midrib or axis, as at fig.4 (a). This is seen 
as in fig. 5, 6, to be owing to an effort of the awn to throw off a bud 
at the point where the flexure occurs, and this bud is at first distinctly 
noticeable under the form of a mamillary mass of cellular tissue. At 
fig. 7, 8, side and back views (much enlarged) are given of this bud in 
