GRASS FAMILY. 353 



130. GRAMINE^I, GRASS FAMILY. 



Grasses, known from other glumaceous plants by their 2-ranked 

 leaves having open sheaths, the jointed stems commonly, but not 

 always hollow, and the glumes in pairs, viz. a pair to each spikelet 

 even when it consists of a single flower (these called glumes proper), 

 and a pair to each flower (called palets), rarely one of them want- 

 ing. Flower, when perfect, as it more commonly is, consisting of 3 

 stamens (rarely 1, 2, or 6), and a pistil, with 2 styles or a 2-cleft 

 style, and 2 either hairy or plumose-branched stigmas: ovary 1- 

 celled, 1-ovuled, becoming a grain : the floury part is the albumen 

 of the seed, outside of which lies the embryo (Lessons, p. 16, 17, 

 fig. 38-42). 



The real structure and arrangement of the flowers and spikelets 

 of Grasses are much too difficult and recondite for a beginner. For 

 their study the Manual must be used : in which the genera both of 

 this and the Sedge Family are illustrated by plates. Here is offered 

 merely a shorthand way of reaching the names of the commonest 

 cultivated and meadow grasses and the cereal grains. 



A. Stems hollow, or soon becoming so. 



1 . Spikelets in panicles, sometimes crowded but never so as to form a spike. 

 * Flowers monoecious, the staminate and pistillate separate in the same panicle. 



Zizania aquatica, INDIAN RICE or WATER OATS : in water, common- 

 est N. W. ; tall and reed-like Grass, with leaves almost as large as those of 

 Indian Corn, the upper part of the ample panicle bearing pistillate flowers on 

 erect club-shaped pedicels, the lower bearing staminate flowers on spreading 

 branches ; each flower or spikelet with only one pair of glumes, the outer one 

 lorig-awned ; grain slender, ' long, collected for food by N. W. Indians. (T) 



* * Flowers one and perfect in each spikelet, with or without rudiments of others. 

 - Stamens 6. 



Orjrza sativa, RICE. Cult. S., from Asia, in low grounds : 2 -4 high, 

 with upper surface of the lance-linear leaves rough ; branches of the panicle erect ; 

 outer glumes minute, the inner coriaceous, very much flattened laterally, so as 

 to be strongly boat-shaped or conduplicate, closing over the grain and falling 

 with it, the outer one commonly bearing an awn. 



- *- Stamens 3, or rarely fewer. 



Agr6stis Vlllgaris, RED-TOP. Rather low and delicate grass of meadows 

 and pastures, with oblong spreading panicle of small purple or purplish spikelets ; 

 the lanceolate proper glumes thin, but much firmer than the delicate palets, 

 about the length of the outer one, the upper truncate palet one half shorter. ^ 



A. alba, FIORIN or WHITE BENT GRASS. Less abundant in meadows, 

 the stems with procumbent or creeping base ; ligule long and conspicuous ; 

 panicle more dense, greenish or slightly purplish : a valuable meadow-grass. 1]. 



Calamagrostis Canadensis, BLUE-JOINT GRASS. In all bogs N., and 

 in reclaimed low meadows, much liked by cattle : 3-5 high ; resembles an Agros- 

 tis, but taller, and with a tuft of downy long hairs around the flower almost of 

 its length, the lower palet with a delicate awn low down on its back and scarcely 

 stouter than the surrounding down. J 



C. aren&ria, SEA SAND-REED of beaches, where it serves a useful pur- 

 pose in binding the sand by its long running rootstocks ; has the panicle con- 

 tracted into a long spike-like inflorescence, so that it would be sought in the 

 next division ; leaves long and strong ; spikelets pale, rather rigid, the hairs at 

 the base of the palets two thirds shorter than they. ^[ 

 S & F 26 



