1 62 



GROWTH AND WORK OF PLANTS 



flowering the tuft of silk emerges from between the husks at the 

 end of the ear. 



267. The pistillate flowers of Indian corn. The pistillate 

 flowers are well seen by taking a young ear of corn soon after the 

 silk has emerged. If the husks are carefully stripped off with- 

 out breaking the silk, and this is shaken out so as to separate the 

 threads as much as possible, it will be seen that each long thread 

 of silk is connected with the tip of a small and young grain of 

 corn. This is the pistil of the flower. The thread of silk is the 

 style and the young grain of corn is the ovary. If the surface of 

 the silky threads is examined with a hand lens for some distance 

 over the portion which extends outside of the husks, numerous 

 short hairs will be seen. These serve to hold the pollen grains. 

 It is easy to see that when the pollen grain germinates the tube 

 must travel a long distance to reach the egg cell in the ovule. 



Fig. 119. 

 Spikelet of oat. 

 showing 

 glumes. 



Fig. 120. 



One glume re- 

 two moved, showing fer- 

 tile flower. 



Fig. 121. 



Flower opened, 

 snowing two palets, 

 three stamens, and 

 two lodicules at base 

 of pistil. 



Fig. 122. 

 Section showir 

 ground plan < 

 lower, a, axis. 



268. There is a cluster of delicate white membranous scales 

 which envelop each ovary at this stage, so that only the tip of 

 the ovary, where the style is attached, is exposed. In the ripe 



