770 



OKDEU 



ORDER CLVI. GRAMINE^E. GRASSES. 



Herbs, rarely woody or arborescent, with (mostly) hollow, jointed culms ; with 

 leaves alternate, distychous, on tubular sheaths split down to the nodes, and a ligule 

 (stipules) of membranous texture where the leaf joins the sheath. Flowers in little 

 spikelets of 1 or several, with glumes distychously arranged, and collected into 

 spikes, racemes or panicles. Glumes, the lower pair of scales in the spikelet, alter- 

 nate. enclosing the fls. Pales (pate) the outer pair of scales of each particular flower, 

 unequal. Scales (perianth) usually 2 or 3, minute, hypogynous, distinct or united. 

 Stamens 1 6, commonly 3, anthers versatile, cf 2 distinct cells. Ovary simple 

 with 1 ascending ovule, 2 styles and 2 feathery stigmas. Fruit a caryopsis. Em- 

 bryo lateral, at the base of the farinaceous albumen. 



Genera 300, upecies about 3SOO, universally diffused throughout the world, having no other 

 limits than those that bound vegetation in general. But the species and their characters are 

 widely different in different climes. In temperate zones the grasses clothe a large portion of 

 the earth's surface with a compact, soft, green, carpet-like turf; but in tropical regions tin's 

 beautiful grassy turf disappears and the grasses become larger, more isolated like other plants, 

 fewer in the number of individuals, with broader leaves and more showy ilowers. 



Properties. This family doubtless contributes more to the sustenance of man and beast than 

 all others combined. Its sweet and nutritious properties reside both in the farinaceous albumen 

 cf the seed and in the herbage. No poisonous or even suspicious herb is found among them, 

 with the single exception of Lolium temulentum. The poisonous and medicinal Ergot of Spurred 

 Rye is only a parasitic fungus, and therefore forms no exception to this remark. The stems of 

 many grasses contain sugar, as the Maize and Sugar Cone. Silex is also a frequent ingredient. 

 To this Order belong the common yniins. Maize, Wheat. Kyo, Rice, Barley, Oats, etc. The most 

 important of the cultivated grasses are Phleum or Timothy grass, several kinds of Poa, Agrostis, 

 Alopecurus, Festuca, Aira, Panicum, Cinna, Briza, etc. 



a 721 



. 



a 1-flowered spifcelet; plumes and lower palest- awned. 6. Holcus lanatus ; a two-Dowered 

 spikelet; fl. glumes ; I, the two flowers (upper stnminateV 7. Poa pratensis ; a 4-tlowered spike- 

 let; a, the two glumes ; l>, a single flower, with two palew, etc. 8. Festuca .luriuscula ; a 5-flow- 

 ered spikelet; a, two glumes; b, a single flower. 9. The caryopsis of Hordeum, showing the 

 embryo at the base of the copious albumen. 



