THE GRASS FAMILY 



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Fig. 1. Vegetative part of a 



Fig. 2. Typical complete 

 flower, showing calyx, 

 corolla, stamens and 

 pistils. 



only plants that may rea- 

 sonably be mistaken for 

 grasses are the sedges. In 

 these the culms are solid or 

 pithy, are not jointed, and are 

 commonly 3-sided ; the leaves 

 are always 3-ranked, and the 

 sheaths always closed. 



The flowers of grasses 

 are small and inconspicuous. 

 They consist of a single pistil 

 with a 1 -celled, 1-ovuled ovary, 

 two styles, each with a feath- 

 ery stigma, and three (rarely 

 one or six) stamens with deli- 

 cate filaments and 2-celled 

 anthers. Two minute scales, 

 called lodicules, situated back 

 of the pistil, at blooming time 



grass plant; part of leaf bccome turgid and force open 



opened out. , , , . , 



the envelopmg scales. 

 In Fig. 2 are shown the parts of a common flower 



