98 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
open. This distinction is very observable in 
them, and assists much the study of these 
plants. 
The student must carefully, from the first, 
distinguish the Grass from the Carex, or Sedge, 
which is a Moneecious plant, having on the 
same stem spikes which bear stamens only, and 
other spikes which have only pistils; whereas 
the flowers of grasses are perfect, having 
stamens and pistils both in the same flower. 
Of the Carex or Sedge family we have 70 
species, growing in every sort of situation, and, 
very grass-like in appearance; it is therefore 
very necessary to distinguish them at once 
from grasses. | 
The Grass-Flowers frequently present much 
beauty, even of colour, under the microscope, 
though not in the same degree to the naked 
eye. Their structure is different from all other 
flowers. They are produced in the form of 
a spike, called a fanzcle, either more or less 
branched, or crowded and close. Each little 
stalk containing one or more flowers is called 
a spikelet. At the base of this spikelet are two 
narrow leaves, which may be likened to the 
bracts of other plants, and which are called 
