THE STRUCTURE OF GRASSES 



49 



a flower, that is, a pistil and three stamens. If the wheat 

 heads are observed in the early morning, about sunrise, 

 the bracts will be seen to be open or spread apart, and 

 the two feathery tops of 

 the pistil and the three slen- 

 der stamens will be hang- 

 ing out. The stamens will 

 be shedding the pollen at 

 this time. A light gust of 

 wind or a touch of the 

 hand will send the pollen 

 flying in little clouds. 



The structure of the 

 spikelet is as follows: on 

 the outside or bottom is a 

 pair of empty bracts, that 

 is, when pulled apart there 

 will be no flower within. 

 The third and following 

 bracts except one or two 

 small ones at the top, con- 

 tain each a flower. Later 

 the flower is succeeded by 



a seed or grain. The two lower bracts which contain 

 no flower nor grain, are technically known as glumes. 

 The following bracts, those that contain flowers and 

 later the grains, are called lemmas. Behind each grain 

 is found another little bract. This is called the palea. 

 The spikelet of wheat is said to be several-flowered. The 

 spikelet of the oat is 2-flowered or 3-flowered. In these 

 the lemma in some varieties has an awn or bristle on the 



3. Spikelet of wheat: a, por- 

 tion of axis with 3 spikelets; b, 

 a single spikelet; c, a floret. 



