64 GRAMINE^. 



the cone-bearing trees. The latter contains the cedars, cypresses, 

 sequoias, balsams, firs, spruces, larches, and pines. 



Oramineae (The Grass Family.) — Tufted annuals or peren- 

 nials, usually herbaceous and evergreen ; with fibrous roots, often 

 stoloniferous or with a creeping rhizoma. Stem (culm) endo- 

 genous, simple or branched, cylindric, rarely compressed, usually 

 hollow, and closed at the joints, sometimes solid, especially when 

 young; the nodes solid, mostly swollen. Leaves parallel veined, 

 rarely net veined, narrow, undivided, alternate, rarely two or more 

 at a node, distichous ; petiole dilated, usually convolute, sheathing 

 the culm, margins free or often united, especially in the lower 

 leaves; ligule adnate to the sheath at the base of the blade, 

 scarious, sometimes only a cartilaginous ring or a fringe of 

 hairs. Inflorescence, spicate, capitate, racemose or paniculate. 



The Spikelets consist of two, three or more, distichous, chaff- 

 like concave scales or bracts {glumes), their concave faces to- 

 wards the axis (rhachilla), the 2, or sometimes 1, or rarely 3 or 

 more lower ones, and sometimes 1 or more upper ones empty, 

 the other one or more with one sessile flower in the axil of each. 



Floral gluine terete or laterally compressed, enclosing a 

 1-2-sexual flower, and a flat, often 2-nerved scale {palea) with 

 inflexed edges. Perianth of 2 (rarely or 3 or more) minute 

 scales {lodicules), placed opposite the palea. Stamens {andrcB- 

 cium) usually 3, sometimes 1, 2, 4, 6 or more, even to 30, one of 

 which alternates with two lodicules, filaments very slender, 

 anthers versatile, 2-celled, linear, pendulous; pollen mostly 

 yellowish-white, sometimes purple or red. In rare cases the 

 stamens are monadelphous, as in Streptochmta. Ovary simple, 

 free, sessile, sometimes stipitate, 1-ovuled ; styles 2, rarely 3, free 

 or more or less united ; with hairy or feathery stigmas ; ovule 

 anatropous. 



Fruit {caryopsis), erect, free or often adherent to the palea, 

 and sometimes to the floral glume. 



