192 



ORGANOGRAPHY. 



Fig. 380. Fig. 379. When a bract is of 



large size and sheath- 

 ing, and surrounds 

 one, or a number of 

 flowers, so as to com- 

 pletely enclose them 

 when in a young state, 

 a-? in the Iris, Narcissus, 

 Snow-flake (Leucojum 

 verJium) {fig. 379), 

 the common Arum 

 {Arum maculatum) {fig. 

 380), and Palms {fig. 

 394), it is called a 

 spathe ; this is very 

 common in Monocoty- 

 ledonous Plants, and 

 also generally sur- 

 rounds the kind of 

 inflorescence called a 

 spadix, as in the 

 Arum {fig. 380). The 

 spathe may be either 

 green like an ordi- 

 nary leaf, or coloured 

 as in liichardia a-lhio- 

 pica. In some Palms 

 these spathes are of 

 great length, thus, as 

 much as twenty feet ; 

 and as many as 200,000 

 flowers have been 

 counted in some of 

 them. Sometimes the spadix of Palms branches {fig. 394), and 

 then we frequently find smaller spathes surrounding the divi- 

 sions, which have been named spathellce. 



Besides the bracts which surround the head of flowers of the 

 Compositaj and form an involucre, it frequently happens that 

 the individual flowers arc also jn-ovided with little bracts, wliich 

 are then generally of a membranous nature, and colourless, as in 

 the Chamomile {fig. 381); these have received the name of 

 palea. 



The only other brsicts which have received special names are 

 those found in Grasses, and Sedges. Thus, the partial in- 

 florescence of a Grass which is termed a locusta or spikelet, has 

 at its base, one, or two ))rncts, to wliicli the name of glumes has 

 been given {fig. 382, gl,gl). In the Cypcracca^ each flower is 

 surrounded by similar bracts. In the Grasses also, we find that 



Fig. 379. Flower of the Spring Snow-flake 



(.Leucojum vernum). Fig. 380. Spadix 



of Cuckow-pint {Arum maculatum), enclosed 

 in a Bpathe. 



