12 ADVERTISE3IENT TO 



sugar is more nourisliing, and extractive less nou- 

 rishing, than any other principles composed of 

 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen ; certain combinations 

 of these substances, likewise, may be more nourishing 

 than others. 



One species of grass is distinguished from every 

 other by its properties, and by the number, situation, 

 proportion, and colour of the different parts of its 

 structure. Of these parts, the most obvious are, the 

 root (radix) : the straw, stem, or culm (culmus) : 

 the leaves (folia) : the flower or husks (Jios vel 

 gliima) : and the seed (semen). The figure of these 

 parts varies in difl'erent species ; it is therefore neces- 

 sary that each should have a name, by which it ma}' 

 be distinguished from every other. 



The varieties of the root are, fibrous, or creeping, 

 or bulbous. 



The varieties of the stem are, simple, branched, 

 erect, straight, ascending, decumbent, procumbent, 

 creeping, naked, rough, cylindrical, compressed, two- 

 edged, four-cornered, knee-jointed, bulbiferous, that 

 is, bearing bulbs. For the most part the straw or 

 stem is entire, with the flowers crowded together on 

 a spike or ear at the top, as in wheat ; or much di- 

 vided at top, into a panicle, the flowers or grain 

 being borne on slender foot-stalks, as in oats. 



The leaves of grasses are all quite simple, or 

 undivided, and therefore offer but few characters 

 of distinction, except in size, situation, or surface 

 covering. 



Sheath -scales or stipules of grasses are small mem- 

 branaceous expansions, attached to the inner sides of 



