THE GRASS FAMILY 



173 



deposited in large quantities in the cell-walls of the epidermis of 

 the leaf and stem. This is certainly not without its good purpose. 

 The hard silica is not only a means of support to the plant, but 

 protects it also from the attacks of 

 a number of small animals, such 

 as snails, caterpillars and insects, 

 that would feed on the leaves and 

 stalks but for this substance 

 which interferes with their feed- 

 ing. Bigger animals, like cattle, 

 do not mind it. But there are 

 genera of Grass on the Ghauts 

 which because of their coarseness 

 are disliked even by cattle. 



.5. Vie now come to the Flower 

 and Fruit. The flowers are sup- 

 ported by a panicle which bows 

 down with the weight of the 

 ripening grains. The short later- 

 al flow^er-branches are wiry and 

 bear one-flowered, stalked spike- 

 lets. Each spikelet consists of 

 two very short scaly bracts at the 

 base (fig. 160), which reasoning 

 from the analogy of other grass 

 flowers represent two abortive flowers, and two larger dry scales 

 (glumes) closing over the naked flower at the top of the spikelet. 

 The outer of these two, the glume proper, is boat-shaped embrac- 

 ing the opposite smaller one (palea) with its incurved edges, 

 and sometimes ending in a short bristle, the awn. Between the 

 glume and the palea are two small glabrous bodies, called 

 lodicules. The inner organs consist of six pendulous stamens 

 and the pistil with two feathery styles (fig. 152, 4). 



We know that, if seeds are to be produced, the pollen of the 

 stamens must fall on the style of the pistil. The two glumes 

 that enclose these organs, therefore, open when the organs are 

 sufficiently developed. There is a wise arrangement in the Grass 



/ 



Fig. 160. — The flower of the Paddy- 

 plant (very much enlarged). 



