often happens that in handling the dry oat 

 panicle the small sterile flower is broken 

 loose from its frail attachment and lost. 

 When missing, what evidence do you see 

 of the sterile flower having been present? 

 (c) Examine some threshed oats for the 

 presence of sterile flowers. What becomes 

 of the sterile flower in threshing? (d) 

 What becomes of the outer glumes? (e) 

 Observe the fertile flowers of an oat spike- 

 let. Are they equal or unequal in size? 

 (f) What relation do you observe to exist 

 between their size and position? (g) How 

 do the outer glumes of oats differ from the 

 palea and flowering glumes? 



10. (a) How do the outer glumes of 

 oats differ from those of wheat? (b) How 

 does the threshed product differ from that 

 of wheat? 



11. Find in oats what corresponds to the 

 wheat kernel. Compare it with wheat in 

 slenderness, depth of suture, hairiness, 

 hardness and oiliness. 



12. Compare the awn of oats with the 

 awn of wheat as suggested by the follow- 

 ing: (a) Supported by which glume? (b) Position — apical or dorsal? 

 Straightness. (e) On the upper or lower flower, or both? 



13. Carefully remove an awned grain from a wild oat spikelet. Moisten the knee of 

 the awn with your tongue, (a) Observe for a minute or two and then describe the action 



Fig. 53. 

 A panicle of Kherson 

 oats. (Nebraska Experi- 

 ment Station.) 



Fig. 54. 

 A panicle of side oats. 

 (Nebraska Experiment Sta- 

 tion.) 



(c) Length. (d) 



Fig. 55. 

 A Mature Oak Spikelet Dissected, (a) A mature oat spikelet; (b-j inclusive) spikelet dissected; 

 (c, d, and e) fertile flower dissected; (f) sterile flower not dissected; (g, h, and i) fertile flower dissected; 

 (b) outer glume; (c) flowering glume; (d) kernel; (e) palea; (f) sterile flower; (g) palea; (h) kernel; 

 (i) flowering glume; (j) outer glume. 



86 



