152 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



by knots, where the stem is thickened, and the 

 hollow space within is closed by a partition. The 

 leaves are long, narrow, and entire, and sheathe 

 the stem at their base. Where the leaf-sheath 

 passes into the blade there is a delicate membrane 

 called the ligula. The flowers are arranged in 

 terminal spikes or panicles; they are very small, and 

 are surrounded by scaly bracts called glumes ; they 

 are succeeded by hard seeds. When the flower- 

 head forms a spike it is called an ear in the case 

 of corn ; for the various kinds of corn are really 

 cultivated grasses. Our native species are only a 

 few feet in height, but in foreign countries they 

 grow much taller ; and the Bamboos of the tropics, 

 which grow to the height of ioo or 200 feet, are 

 really different species of large grasses. 



The flowers are generally arranged in the spikes 

 or panicles in threes. These clusters are called 

 spikelets, and usually one flower only of the three 

 is fertile. Each flower is enclosed by two small 

 boat-shaped bracts called glumes. The flower 

 proper consists of an ovary with 2 small feathery 

 stigmas and 3 stamens. The ovary is enclosed 



by two very delicate scales, representing the 

 perianth. 



The British grasses are very numerous in genera 

 and species, and we have only space to notice a 

 few representative species. 



Vernal Grass — Anthoxanthum odoratum 



(Plate CXVI) 



This is a sweet-scented grass, to which the 

 odour of new-made hay is largely due. It is a 

 perennial plant, upwards of a foot high, with a 

 straight, slender, smooth stalk, and rather short 

 leaves. The flowers are purple or yellow, and 

 stand at the extremity of a loose rather pointed 

 spike. They are composed of 2 stamens and 1 

 style. 



Fox-tail Grass — Alopecurus pratensis 

 (Plate CXVI I) 



This is another common meadow-grass. It is 

 a perennial, growing to the height of 2 or 3 feet, 



