16 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



basifixed to the filament. But as the anthers are long and the 

 connective is reduced to its minimum, they appear as if versatile 

 when the stamens are out. When there are three stamens one 

 stands in front of the flowering glumes and the other two in front 

 of the palea, one opposite each edge of the palea. The relative 

 positions of the parts of the floret are shown in the floral diagrams. 

 (See figs. 18 and 19.) 



Fig. 19. — Floral diagrams. 

 The first is that of Chloris, second of Panicttm and the third of Oryza. 



The pistil consists of an ovary and two styles ending in plumose 

 stigmas. The ovary is i-celled and I-ovuled. It is one carpelled 

 according to the views of Hackel and his followers and there are 

 also some who consider it as 3-carpelled because of the occurrence 

 of three styles in the pistil of some bamboos. 



The rachilla is usually well developed and elongated in many- 

 flowered spikelets, while in i-flowered spikelets it remains very 

 small so that the flower appears to be terminal. It often extends 

 beyond the insertion of the terminal flower and its glume, and then 

 lies hidden appressed to the palea. This may be seen in the spike- 

 lets of the species of Cynodon. This prolonged rachilla sometimes 

 bears a minute glume, which is of course rudimentary. Usually 

 the glumes are rather close together on the rachilla so that the 

 internodes are very short; but in some grasses, as in Dinebra 

 t/rabica, the glumes are rather distant and so the internodes are 

 somewhat longer and conspicuous. In some species of Panicum 

 the rachilla is jointed to the pedicel below the empty glumes, 

 whereas it is articulated just above these glumes in Chloris barbata. 

 Sometimes the rachilla is articulated between the flowers. This 

 is the case in the spikelet of Dinebra ardbica. 



Pollination in most grasses is brought about by wind, though 

 in a few cases self-pollination occurs. The terminal position of the 

 inflorescence, its protrusion far above the level of the foliage leaves, 

 the swinging and dangling anthers, the abundance of non-sticking 

 pollen and the plumose stigmas are all intended to facilitate pol- 

 lination by wind. Furthermore the stamens and the stigmas do 

 not mature at the same time. In some grasses the stamens mature 

 earlier (protandry) while in others the stigmas protrude long 

 before the stamens (protogyny). As the result of the pollination 

 the ovary developes into a dry i-seeded indehiscent fruit. The 

 seed fills the cavity fully and the pericarp fuses with the seed-coat 



