28 



FIRST BOOK OF GRASSES 



After the foregoing the spikelet and its parts will 

 be recognized in most of the genera of the group 

 having few to many-flow- 

 ered pediceled spikelets. 

 As stated in Lesson III 

 the florets in a single spike- 

 let may be of two kinds. 

 The simplest spikelet of 

 this type is found in the 

 Floret of fced {Phragmites commu- 



Tnodia ^^g\ J^ ^J^jg ^^le lowest 



flava. ' ' 



floret is staminate or neu- 

 ter and its lemma is much longer 

 than in the other florets (Fig. 18, A). In the per- 

 fect floret (Fig. 18, B) it will be seen that the palea 

 is very much shorter than the lemma, that the 



Fig. 17. Lemma of 

 Cottea pappophoroides. 



Fig. 18. A, spikelet of Phragmites communis; B, floret. 



rachilla bears copious long soft hairs, and that in- 

 stead of disarticulating at its summit and remaining 



