MORPHOLOGY OF THE FLORAL ORGANS 129 



would tend to show relationship with the lilies. The species with 1 

 and 2 stamens evidently show a reduction from the usual 3-stamened 

 type by the abortion of 1 or more of its members. 



161. The pistil is single, with a 1-celled ovary, 2 styles 

 and 2 stigmas. Occasionally there are 3 styles (Strepto- 

 chseta, some bamboos), or only 1 (Nardus). There is 

 apparently only 1 also in corn (the ''silk") but this arises 

 from the union of 2. When there are 2 styles or 2 sessile 

 stigmas they arise not from the apex of the ovary but 

 from the sides near the apex. Sometimes there is a single 

 style that divides into 2 branches. The styles of corn are 

 unusually long and slender thus raising the stigmas out 

 of the large bracts or husks surrounding the ear. The 

 stigmas usually consist of papillate or plumose continua- 

 tions of the styles. The ovary contains a single ovule 

 grown to the side of the ovary without a funiculus, the 

 micropyle turned downward. In Streptochseta and Strep- 

 togyne the long spirally twisted styles and stigmas of 

 adjacent spikelets become interlaced at maturity. 



According to Hackel and others, the pistil is 1-carpeled; 

 according to Walker, it is made up of 3 carpels (Walker, 

 "On the Structure of the Pistils of Some Grasses." Univ. 

 Nebr. Studies 6: No. 3. 1906.) 



162. The fruit is usually a caryopsis, the seed being 

 adherent to the pericarp. The seed-coat is poorly devel- 

 oped and the pericarp acts as a seed-coat. The caryopsis 

 is sometimes more or less united with the palea, rarely 

 also with the lemma. The caryopsis is, however, often 

 inclosed within the lemma and palea without being adher- 

 ent to them. 



As in flowering plants in general the fruit in the restricted sense 

 is the ripened ovary and its contents. In a wider sense the fruit is 

 the ripened ovary together with the adjacent parts which may aid in 

 I 



