1 906-190 7-] The GraminecB under Economic Aspects, 395 



Mill.— THE GBAMINE^ UNDER ECONOMIC 

 ASPECTS. 



By Mr RUPERT SMITH. 

 {Bead April 24, 1907.) 



OuK worthy President, in his address at the beginning of 

 last Session, made some commendable observations anent the 

 desirableness of members of this Society taking up the study 

 of some section of Natural History. Many of us, I believe 

 the majority, have not the leisure to make an exhaustive 

 study of any scientific subject, but we can very easily add 

 much to our own knowledge, as well as assist others, by 

 devoting some part of what leisure we may have to the 

 fascinating study of nature. My object, therefore, in this 

 paper is mainly to suggest that some of our members might 

 take up the study of the Graminese, by far the most important 

 order of the vegetable kingdom, and on which both man and 

 beast depend for their sustenance. 



I shall first take up the grasses used principally by man 

 for food, and afterwards deal with what are called the 

 natural grasses, those on which the lower animals depend 

 for sustenance. A long list of genera and species would be 

 uninteresting, and is unnecessary, especially as I am treating 

 the subject of the Gramineee more from its economic aspect 

 than from a purely botanical point of view. 



The grasses belong to the Monocotyledons, and with the 

 sedges form the sub-class Glumaceee. In the grasses the 

 spikelet is composed of florets, usually perfect, but sometimes 

 imperfect, or even neuter (without stamens or pistils), 

 solitary or two or more, imbricated on a common axis, and 

 contained within an involucre consisting of 2 (sometimes 1, 

 rarely 0) glumes. The stamens are usually three, with two- 

 celled anthers. The ovary is one-celled, and the stigmas 

 usually two and feathery. The nutritive value of its fruit 

 makes this the most important of all the orders of the 

 vegetable kingdom. To the inhabitants of the temperate 

 zones, wheat is the most important product of this order. 



