^4 GRASSES. [class III. ORDER II. 



plant, or on two or three different plants). The fioral coverings 

 are gradations of bractece, and are glumaceous, or chaffy; the 

 pieces are called glumes, or valves (valvula). The external valves 

 — gluma of Brown — are empty, and called by Linnseus, Smith, 

 Hoolier, and most botanists, cah/x ; it is the gluma exterior of 

 others, the tegmen of Beauvois, the j)eristachgum of Panzer, the 

 lepicena of Richard, and the catoniumoi Trinius. Internal to these 

 glumes there are one or moxe florets, the valves of which are mostly 

 of a different texture ; these are the gliimella of De Candolle and 

 Desvaux ; the corolla of Linnaeus, Smith, Hooker, and others; 

 the calyx of Jussieu ; the perianthum of Brown; the glvma of 

 Richard ; the palece of Beauvois and Lindley. Within these, and 

 at the base of the germen, are found generally two, sometimes 

 three, rarely one, small pale scales: the glumellnla oi Desvaux 

 and De Candolle; the nectary of Linnaeus and Smith; squavmlcB 

 of Jussieu, Brown, and others; glumella of Richard ; lodicvla of 

 Beauvois; corolla of Micheli and Dumortier. From these differ- 

 ing, and indeed conflicting terms, it will be inferred how little 

 comparatively is understood of the nature and organisation of 

 these coverings ; and until something more delinite is known, it is 

 better to call them what most obviously they are, viz. gradations 

 of bractete. The external ones are here called ghimes, the inner 

 glumelles, and the \m\exmof,\ ghmellules. The ribs of the glumes 

 and glumelles are frequently elongated into an axcn, heard, or 

 arista, which is of greater or less length, hygrometrical, frequently 

 jointed, twisted or feathery. The inner valve of the glumelles is 

 in some species bifid at the extremity, the sides inllexed, and there 

 are two ribs, one on each side : such a valve, Mr. Brown regards 

 as composed of two confluent valves. 

 No plants are more widely distributed over the surface of the globe 

 than the grasses, extending their range from the equator to the polar 

 regions ; and none are more varied in habit to adapt them to the 

 various circumstances of soil, situation, and climate of the countries in 

 which they grow. In most countries, grasses constitute the chief 

 covering of the otherwise cheerless and desolate-looking carih ; orna- 

 menting and enriching the hills, the valleys, and the plains, with the 

 liveliness of their lovely green, and afl'ording abundance of food for 

 multitudes of the animated creation. The CiiEATOR, ever solicitous for 

 the provision and preservation of the various orders of creation, has 

 displayed his wisdom in whatever department of nature we examine; 

 but in the important tribe of grasses, this may be said to be most stri- 

 kingly apparent, not only in having adapted them for every variety of 

 climate and soil, but in wonderfully providing them with means to 

 compensate for the various disadvantages in which they may be acci- 

 dentally placed, and in overcoming and resisting injuries. For exam- 

 ple : the stems or culms, which are mostly rgectcd by animals, and 

 trodden down, might ))e thought to be destroyed ; but they, in many 



