344 GRAMINE^E. [CLASS 



The rind of the Sugar Cane, like that of most grasses, 

 contains much silica, so that when it is burnt a glassy 

 slag results, which renders the crushed Sugar Canes 

 ill-adapted to serve as fuel. Upwards of 16,000,000 

 hundredweights of unrefined Sugar were imported in 

 1886. 



The stems (straw) of various Cereals, and of some 

 wild grasses, are used for plaiting, being split by simple 

 instruments into narrow strips. Straw is also worked up 

 into a cheap, brittle paper. 



Species of Bamboo (Bambusa) attain a great size ; 

 one (B. arundinacea) growing thirty feet in height in the 

 Palm Stove of the Royal Gardens at Kew within about 

 three months every year. The light, hollow, jointed 

 stems of the Bamboo are applied to an infinite variety of 

 purposes. 



Series GYMNOSPERMS. 



74. Natural Order. Coniferae. The Pine Family. 



DISTRIBUTION. A cosmopolitan Order, with repre- 

 sentatives from the arctic zone to the Equator. Several 

 species are socially growing forest-trees, covering wide 

 areas in the cooler parts of the north temperate zone. 

 British genera 3, species 3. 



Evergreen trees or shrubs. Ovules naked. 



Type Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris}. 



A tall tree, with evergreen acicular geminate leaves, 

 naked amentaceous flowers, and a multiple fruit (cone). 



From the extreme simplicity of the flowers of Coniferae, 

 the usual schedule is not suited to exhibit their structure 

 in a tabular form. 



The male Mowers of Scotch Fir are arranged in short 

 catkins, consisting of minute, imbricating scales, each 

 scale bearing two anther-lobes upon its under surface. 



The female flowers, also, are in small, dense, cone-like 

 catkins, consisting of small scales, each scale bearing 

 upon the base of its upper side a pair of inverted ovules. 

 As the scales are closely imbricated, the ovules are con- 

 cealed ; but they may be easily found by breaking the 



