PAIRED SPIKELETS 



81 



In the closely related Indian-grass, Sorghastrum, the 

 racemes are reduced to one or two joints, and the 

 sterile spikelets are wholly suppressed, the slender 

 hairy pedicel alone being developed. 



Compare F i g. 

 74, A, a diagram- 

 matic single joint 

 of Erianthus sac- 

 charoides, with Fig. 

 73, A, and Fig. 74, 

 B, three joints of a 

 long raceme, with 

 Fig. 73, B. It will 

 be seen that, while 

 the spikelets are 

 paired, the pedi- 

 celed spikelet is as 

 large as the sessile 

 one and, like it, 

 is awned. In this 

 genus the pediceled 

 spikelet is usually 

 perfect. The ra- 

 cemes are long and 

 slender and co- 

 piously hairy, and 

 are crowded on a stout main axis forming large, 

 dense, woolly panicles. In sugar-cane the inflores- 

 cence is like that of Erianthus, but the spikelets 

 are awnless. 



Fig. 74, A, diagram of single joint of raceme 

 of Erianthus sacchar aides; B, three joints 

 of raceme. 



