96 DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. PART I. 



the stalk, or " rachis," on which the flower is seated ; 

 and this glume appears by its nervation to be composed 

 of two united ; this is further indicated by a little 

 notch at its apex. The other, or outermost glume, is 

 furnished with a bristle-shaped projection at the back, 

 termed an " awn." Several of these flowers are closely 

 ranged on opposite sides of a stalk, and form a " spike- 

 let" (c), which is itself contained between two glumes 

 at the base. When several of these spikelets are ar- 

 ranged alternately on the main rachis, they form a spike, 

 as in wheat. In some examples, the flowers have three 

 glumes. Some flowers are solitary, and on separate 

 pedicels, as in the oat ; and the lax branched inflorescence 

 assumes the form of a "panicle" (fig. 84>.). Some 

 grasses have only two stamens, and some have only one 

 glume at the base of each spikelet. 



In the Cyperacese (as in fig. 96.) we have only one 

 glume to each flower (a). The >j 95 

 pistil (6) is inclosed in a mem- 

 branous bag (at a), composed of 

 two glumes united. The stamens 

 are two or three, as also are the 

 stigmas. The flowers of many of 

 the Cyperacea: are unisexual, and 

 arranged in spikelets and spikes, 

 much in the same way as in the 

 grasses. These two orders, although 

 so closely allied, are readily distinguishable ; for be- 

 sides the different character of their inflorescence, the 

 grasses have round, hollow, ar/tl jointed stems (cw/m*), 

 whilst those of the sedges are more or less angular, and 

 solid. 



(97.) Stamens. These organs are generally com- 

 posed of two parts : the" anther" (fig. 97* d), which bears 

 an analogy to the limb of the leaf, and is a sort of pouch 

 containing a fine powder termed the " pollen;" and 

 the filament (e) or stalk upon which it is seated, ana- 

 logous to the petiole, or leaf-stalk. The latter part, 

 however, is sometimes wanting, and then the anther is 



