90 THE SMALL GRAINS 



ing hairs. The ligules are short, oval, with very distinct 

 3-angled, lance-shaped, pointed teeth (Fig. 27). 



81. The panicle is usually 9 to 12 inches long. It is 

 made up of several half whorls of branches, which arise 

 from alternate sides of the rachis. The panicle is either 

 spreading or compacted and turned to one side; the 

 rachis and rachilla round and glabrous ; the former rough 

 above and sleek below; the lowest or two lowest half 

 whorls usually with a light seam or edge of cuticle run- 

 ning around them. The branches bear 1 to oo spikelets 

 (Fig. 28). 



82. Spikelets. Each spikelet contains 2 or more 

 flowers, of which usually only the two lowest are fertile, 

 the lower one of these being the larger and producing the 

 larger kernel. The axis is glabrous or has scattered or 

 crowded bristles in one or both flowers. The glumes are 

 thin membranous, broadly lanceolate, pointed, glabrous, 

 broadly arched, 7- to 11 -nerved ; the upper a little larger 

 than the lower, and having commonly two more nerves. 

 Glumes exceeding the flowers except in the hulless group. 

 The two kernels which develop lie close together and may 

 or may not separate in thrashing. 



83. Flowers. The lemma is much firmer in texture 

 than the glumes, is broadly arched, usually oval and 

 pointed; the apex toothed, emarginate, cut slightly, 

 2-cleft or entire ; color white through yellow and brown 

 to black; lemma glabrous or rarely with bristles, 

 rough toward the apex. In the lower flower, it usually 

 possesses an awn arising from its dorsal portion; awn 

 brown or black, varying much in length, bent at ripen- 

 ing, twisted to the right below the bend, the thinner and 

 usually longer portion above the bend not twisted, when 

 small neither bent nor twisted; palea shorter than the 



