16 HORTUS GRAM1NEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



V. 



The Flower consists of 



Five distinct parts, the calyx, or outer husks, (gluma) ; the 

 corolla, or inner husks, (corolla) ; the stamina, or male parts, 

 (stamina) ; the pistil, or female parts ; and the germen or rudiment 

 of the future seed. 



The calyx, or outer husks, contain the flower, and afterwards 

 the seed. Its more obvious characters of distinction consist in 

 the number of valves, or scales, of which it is composed. 



1. One-valved, (univalvis) , that consists of only one valve, as in 



Lolium, (rye-grass). 



2. Two-valved, (bivalvis), that consists of two valves, as in most 



grasses. 



3. Many valved, (multivalvis*), when the outer husks consist of 



more than two valves, as in Hordeum, (barley), and Elymus, 

 (lyme-grass). 



4. Keeled, (carinatus) t bent like the keel of a ship or boat, as in 



Phalaris canariensis. 



5. Fringed, (ciliatus), having soft hair set round the edges, as in 



Phleum pratense. 



6. Lopped, (truncatus), when the apex appears as if cut horizon- 



tally, as in Phleum pratense. 



7. Prickly, (cuspidatus), ending in dagger-like points, as in 



Phleum pratense. 



The corolla, or inner husks, contain the essential parts of the 

 flower, (stamina, style, and germen) ; when the seed is perfected, 

 they generally enclose and adhere to it. This, and the calyx, 

 constitute the chafT of oats, wheat, &c. It has the following 

 varieties : 



1. One-valved, (univalvis), which consists of one valve only, as in 



Trichodium rupestre. 



2. Two-valved, (bivalvis), as in most grasses. 



3. Awned, (aristata), when furnished with an awn. 



* The involucre, or leaves like spines, which surrounds one or several flowers, is 

 sometimes found in grasses, but is more particularly the property of another order 

 of plants (the umbelliflorus) ; and, being in the grasses much resembling the glumes 

 of the calyx, I have included it here, under the distinction multi valve calyx ; 

 merely to avoid too numerous divisions ; which, to those who confine their study of 

 Botany only to the Grasses, (for whose use only these pages are designed,) will be, 

 I trust, useful. 



