THE CEREAL FAMILY. 339 



has since raised a batch of seedlings from this hybrid, which 

 proves its fertility. It will now be interesting to know whether 

 these seedlings reproduce the hybrid, or if they show traces of 

 reversion. 



Messrs E. G. Henderson & Sons have raised several hybrid 

 varieties of Streptocafpus which are not yet named ; and several 

 hybrids between 6". biflora and S. polyanthus have been raised 

 in Continental gardens. 



THE CEREAL FAMILY (Graminacece). 



One of the largest of all natural orders of plants, and one of 

 the most important, as affording valuable food-producing plants 

 which are widely distributed in both tropical and temperate 

 countries. In the * Vegetable Kingdom ' is the following ac- 

 count of their distribution : " The distribution of cultivated 

 grasses is one of the most interesting of all subjects. It is 

 determined not merely by climate, but depends on the civilisa- 

 tion, industry, and traffic of the people, and often on historical 

 events. The grains which extend farthest to the north in 

 Europe are Barley and Oats. These, which in the milder 

 climates are not used for bread, afford to the inhabitants of 

 the northern parts of Norway and Sweden, and of a part of 

 Siberia and Scotland, their chief vegetable nourishment. Rye 

 is the next 'which becomes associated with these, and it is the 

 prevailing grain in a great part of the northern temperate zone 

 namely, in the south of Sweden and Norway, Denmark, in 

 all the lands bordering on the Baltic, the north of Germany, 

 and part of Siberia, where Buckwheat is also frequently grown. 

 In the zone where Rye prevails, Wheat is generally to be found. 

 In temperate and southern parts of Europe, Wheat is very 

 general, Barley being used for malting, and Oats and Rye as 

 cattle food. Next come warmer districts, where Wheat is still 

 grown at a high elevation, other grain -plants being Maize, 

 Rice, and Millet of several kinds. In the torrid zone, Maize 

 (Zea mays) predominates in America, Rice (Oryza sativa) in 

 Asia, while both are grown nearly equally in Africa. Hence it 

 appears that in respect to the predominating kinds of grain the 

 earth may be divided into five grand divisions or kingdoms 

 the kingdom of Rice, of Maize, of Wheat, of Rye, and lastly 

 of Barley and Oats. The first three are -the most extensive, 

 Maize having the greatest range of temperature, but Rice may 

 be said to support the greatest number of the human race." It 

 is a very remarkable circumstance that the native country of 



