62 



FIRST BOOK OF GRASSES 



Examine Fig. 52 (^Egopogon) in which A represents a 

 fascicle (spread apart) of one fertile and two sterile 

 spikelets attached to the branch which falls with 

 them. These little fascicles are racemose and nodding 

 on the main axis. 



In Hilaria (Fig. 53) the plan is the same, but the 

 fascicles are sessile on the axis and erect, the spikelets 

 are sessile in the fascicle, the glumes are elaborated 



FIG. 53. A, fascicle of Hilaria Belangeri; B, glumes (inner face) of stami- 

 nate spikelet; C, two views of perfect spikelet; D, fertile floret. 



and very unsymmetrical, and the sterile spikelets 

 have two florets. The species figured is the com- 

 monest one. The fascicles of some of the other 

 species are even more fantastic than these. The 

 glumes and lemma are always sharply folded and 

 compressed laterally. In one species the glumes of 

 the sterile spikelets are broad and fan-shaped, in 

 another they are curiously lobed and awned. In 

 all the species they are exceedingly variable, but in 

 each they follow a general pattern. The glumes of 



