THE CARYOPSIS OR GRAIN. 41 



have seen eleven rye florets throw out their bright yellow anthers 

 at the same time on one spike, by simply drawing them through 

 the hand. 



Break off a barley floret from an ear which is just coming into 

 blossom ; open the pales gently, and put it under a low magni- 

 fying power. Presently . a slight tremor takes place. The 

 anthers begin to move upward. The filaments are visibly 

 growing before the eye at the real rate of six miles an hour. The 

 anthers get more and more distended. They are now half way 

 up the unpretending green chalice. Observe the little slit com- 

 mencing near the apex of the most advanced. Out darts a little 

 spurt of tiny bullets. Presently the next and the next opens. 

 Instantly another and another spurt of tiny bullets are sent 

 dancing from each half -open suture over the enclosing sides of 

 the pales, or down upon the spreading feathers. Now and then a 

 solitary ball bounds out of the opening cavity over the plain in 

 front of it. In various wheats and spelts the points of the 

 feathers are frequently thrown outside, where they are sometimes 

 fixed permanently by the reclosing of the valves. But the rule 

 in wheat, oats and barley is, not to expose the feathers. These 

 are fertilized before the anthers are visible outside. By estimate, 

 a single anther of rye contains 20,000 cells of pollen, and an 

 acre of rye produces 200 Ibs. of pollen." 



The Caryopsis or Grain, as will be seen, is the ripened 

 ovary which is closely filled by the seed. 



Here, also, the reader should consult figures 55 and 56 to notice 

 the structure of a caryopsis or grain and its germination. 



The Seed is a miniature plant in its simplest form, as Prof. 

 W. W. Tracy says, '< packed ready for transportation," and sup- 

 plied with concentrated food destined to nourish the young 

 plant till it form roots and leaves. 



As the young chicks feed upon the yolk of the egg, so the 

 young grass-plant subsists on the starch stored up in the 

 6 



