388 VARIOUS PLANT GROUPS 
The grain-like fruit of typical grasses resembles an achene 
in being the product of a simple pistil with one ovule and in 
being dry and indehiscent. It differs mainly in having the 
seed-coat adherent to the pericarp. A fruit of this kind is 
distinguished as a caryopsis.} 
As shown in Fig. 9 the embryo is placed at one side of 
the albumen. On the side toward the seed-food is a some- 
what shield-shaped organ, termed the scutellum,? through 
which the germ absorbs its nutriment when sprouting. Mor- 
phologically the scutellum is regarded by most botanists as 
the cotyledon of the embryo, enlarged and otherwise modified 
for its peculiar function. Unlike the embryo of dicotyledon- 
ous plants, the embryo of a grass, as of all the sub-class of 
seed-plants now to be studied, has but one cotyledon and is 
hence described as monocotyledonous.* 
Grasses may be easily recognized as mostly herbs with 
hollow, cylindrical stems; parallel-veined, two-ranked sheathing 
leaves; flowers enclosed by glumaceous bracts; and fruit a caryop- 
sis. 
144. The grass order (Graminales or Glumiflore) com- 
prises grass-like plants with glumaceous bracts, a one-celled 
superior ovary, and a solitary ovule. 
The formula of Graminales is given on pages 422, 423. 
145. The palm family (Palmacez). Examples: coconut 
(Figs. 34-36, pages 46, 47), date (Figs. 108, 109, pages 100, 
101), sago palms (Figs. 116 I-III, pages 109, 110), rat- 
tans (Figs. 223 I, II, pages 237, 238), and vegetable ivory 
(Figs. 266 I, II, pages 275, 276). 
The formulas of Phoenix, Cocos, Calamus, Metroxylon, Phytele- 
phas, and Palmacez on pages 422, 423. 
Although in our examples the leaves are all pinnate and 
compound, many members of the family have simple palmate 
leaves, as for instance those from which the familiar palm- 
leaf fans are made. 
1 Car’’y-op’sis < Gr. karyon, nut; opsis, resemblance. Its mor- 
phology is indicated in a formula by [CE; < G/N 
2 Scu-tel’lum < L. a little shield. 
5 Mo’’no-cot’’y-led’on-ous < Gr. monos, one. 
