ANTHOXANTHUM. 



277 



The Flower is diandrous, composed of 2 small, smooth 

 pales, 2 long stamens with versatile double anthers, and an 

 ovary with 2 styles bearing plumous stigmas as long as the 

 stamens.* Finally the grain or caryopsis resembles a wheat 

 kernel, but many times smaller. 



The Name. To this fine Grass, which is widely dis- 

 persed over Europe as well as America, 

 Linnasus gave the, name of Anthoxdn- 

 thum odoratum, meaning either 

 "Sweet-smelling yellow flowers" or 

 " Sweet-smelling flower of flowers." 

 But its flowers are not sweet-smelling, 

 yet its herbage when cut imparts to 

 the drying hay much of its delicious 

 fragrance. 



Thus we have analyzed three genera 

 of Grasses. In addition, let the stu- 

 dent study the Red-top, whose spike- 

 lets are simply 1-flowered ; Wheat, 

 Oats, and Corn. In the latter the 

 flowers of the tassel are all staminate ; 

 of the ear all pistillate. 



Germination . In the Exogens, as we have often seen, 

 the embryo of the seed has two lobes or cotyledons, or as 

 botanists say, is dicotyledonous. In the Endogeiis, the em- 

 bryo is more simple, being generally an oblong body (Fig. 

 LXXVIII, 10), of which one end is a radicle and the other a 

 plumule wrapped up in a single cotyledon, only its end being 

 visible. The nourishment is partly in the cotyledon and 

 mostly the mealy albumen on one side of it. In germina- 



2, Agr&stis vnlgaris, a, 1- 

 flowered spikelet ; ft, the 

 flower removed from its 

 glumes ; 3, Agrdstis scabra ; 

 c, the 2 glumes separated 

 from (d) the single flower. 



* We cannot fail to observe the special adaptation of these flowers to wind-fertili- 

 zation. Their long exserted stamens and stigmas are lifted to the breeze like waving 

 banners. The anthers opening their whole length, swing nicely balanced and tremu- 

 lous, while the stigmas wave their plumes to catch the flying pollen grains. 



