THE GRASSES OF MAINE. 9 



foot in height, and while the flowers of the grasses have four chaffy 

 or husk-like scales for protecting organs, the wood-rushes have six 

 separate pieces in the protecting organs, and they have three hairy 

 stigmas while the grasses have but two. 



DEFINITION OF TERMS USED IN DESCRIBING THE GRASSES. 



Abortive. Imperfectly formed or rudimenta^. 



Alternate. Situated regularly one above the other on opposite sides. 



Annual. Living but one season. 



Anther. The essential part of the stamen, which contains the pollen. 



Apex. The top or extreme end of any part. 



Appressed. Pressed together, not spreading. 



Arista te. Having an awn or beard. 



Articulated. Connected by a joint or joints. 



Ascending. Rising obliquely from the ground. 



Awn. A bristle-like hair proceeding from the glumes. 



Axis. The central stem of a panicle, spike, or spikelet, on which 



the flowers are disposed. 

 Beard. A long slender hair or awn. 

 Biennial. Living through two seasons. 

 Bifid. Divided into two portions at the apex. 

 Blade. The expanded portion of a leaf. 

 Boat-shaped. Folded together in the form of a boat, convex on the 



outside and concave within. 



Branch. A division of the stem or of the panicle. 

 Branchlet. A secondary division of the branch. 

 Bristles. Short, stiff hairs. 

 Bulbous. Thickened like a bulb. 

 Capillary. Hair-like, very slender. 

 Cartilaginous. Firm and tough, like cartilage. 

 Carinate. Keeled, having a prominent ridge in the center. 

 Chaff. The dried glumes and palets of grasses. 

 Chartaceous. The texture resembling paper or parchment in thick- 

 ness. 



Ciliate. Having the margin or nerves fringed with hairs. 

 Cobwebby. Bearing hairs like cobwebs. 

 Compressed. Flattened laterally. 

 Contorted. Twisted. 

 Convolute. Rolled together inwards from the margin. 



