94 MORPHOLOGY OF SPIKELET [CH, 
As regards the flower proper, all our British grasses 
except Anthoxanthum (which has two only) have three 
stamens; but many exotic grasses have six stamens, and 
a few have a large number—even 40. The stamens have 
slender filaments and large versatile anthers, which dangle 
from between the paleze when the flowers are mature, 
scattering their clouds of fine pollen in the wind (Fig. 33). 
All our ordinary grasses except Nardus—where there 
is a simple straight hairy style—have 
two spreading feathery stigmatic 
plumes, which stand out right and 
left from between the palee when 
the pollen is flying about on the 
wind. (Fig. 33.) 
Much interesting speculation has 
been expended in attempting to ex- 
plain the morphological or theoretical 
significance of the parts of the spike- 
let of a grass. If we project the 
various organs on a flat surface in 
the form of a plan, keeping their 
relative positions intact, we obtain 
a diagram such as that shown in |. 
Fig. 34. Diagram of a 
Fig. 34. spikelet of a grass. 
The comparison of numerous The two glumes—g’ 
outer, g? inner—em- 
brace four flowers, of 
ment of the parts on the microscopic which 1 is the lower- 
growing point dissected out from most ang? ge 
most. 
young buds, have suggested that 
cases, and the study of the develop- 
the inner and outer glumes are bracts, or covering leaves, 
