—— = _—— = ——————— LL CC 
A GRAIN OF BAKLEY. 95 
Whilst the ovule is thus developing into the seed the walls 
and tissues of the retaining ovary undergo considerable trans- 
formation. In some cases they become hard and dry, as in 
the shell of the hazel-nut and almond, whilst in others 
certain portions of the ovary walls become soft and succulent, 
as in the plum, cherry, apple, &c., and constitute the fleshy 
part of these fruits. 
After these general explanations you will more readily under- 
stand the development of the flower of the barley-plant to 
which I will now draw your attention. 
Like all the members of the Naturai Order of the Gramineae, 
or Grasses, to which Barley belongs, the flower of this plant 
is very inconspicuous, and is sheathed by two scale-like bracts 
or glumes; these are the two paleze to which frequent reference 
has been made, and on opening these, or better still by 
removing the outer palea, which is furnished in most cases 
with a long awn, the minute ovary is exposed to view. This, 
as you see from the sketch, Plate I., Fig. 5, is divided right 
and left into two well-marked lobes, each one of which is 
surmounted by a style, s, furnished with feathery stigmatic 
hairs, extremely well adapted for catching and retaining the 
minute pollen-grains. 
There are three stamens attached to the base of the ovary, 
each carrying, on a very delicate filament, an anther with 
pollen-sacs charged with pollen grains; these are not shown 
in the Figure. 
Surrounding the ovary are two transparent scales of extreme 
tenuity, the /odicules, Plate I., Fig. 4, to which I have already 
referred as being found under the outer skin of the ripe 
barley grain. These lodicules do not develop with the fertilized 
ovary, and, as far as we know, are of no use to the flower. 
We may conclude from analogy that they represent the peri- 
anth or true floral envelopes of other flowers. These, as we 
know, develop brilliantly coloured petals in most of the higher 
flowering plants, and are a great source of attraction for insects 
which are instrumental in fertilizing the flower by a transfer- 
