178 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



fitted for their battle in life. The bracing roots and hollow 

 stems help to support the weight of grain, which becomes 

 heavier by careful selection of seed in cultivation. When 

 beaten down by heavy rains, the lodged grain is brought up 

 from the ground by means of an unequal growth of the stem at 

 the nodes. Just as the hollow stem gives strength, so the 

 hollow leaf-sheath is able to withstand great force brought to 

 bear upon the leaves by the wind. The 

 split sheath and fluted edges of the 

 lower part of the blade allow the 

 leaves to wave in the wind without 

 danger of breaking. The little out- 

 growth called the ligule at the union 

 of the sheath and blade turns off the 

 water caught by the leaves, which is 

 led down to the fibrous roots. The 

 stomata are protected in the creases 



Fig. 183. — I. Fluted leaf of Zt'a w«;.f. II. Stem, 

 straightening up after a storm. 



Fig. 184.— Panicle of Briza 

 viaxiina. (After " Botanical 

 Magazine.") 



of the stems and leaves, or on the upper sides of leaves which 

 roll up in dry weather. 



Briza maxima, the pretty quaking grass, will be good for 

 studying the flowers, as it is found so generally distributed. 

 The oval spikelets are borne in racemes or panicles. At the 

 lower end of the spikelet are two short green glumes of 

 unequal size, with 5-7 nerves. They are keeled, that is, like 

 the bottom of a boat. They have no flowers in their axils, 

 but protect the whole spikelet. The glumes above them all 



