GLUMIFLOKJE. 



403 



forming a common involucre enclosing the florets (fig. 486) 

 the outer glume sometimes absent. Flowers 2 or many, or rarely 

 solitary with abortive rudiments of others, alternate on the 

 rachis within the glumes, more or less overlapping from below, 

 and each enclosed within the axil of a flowering glume (or outer 

 palea, fig. 486, b), which is a bract often provided with an awn, 

 and the palea (inner palea, fig. 488, b') which is two-nerved ; 

 the perianth is represented by 2 or 3 hypogynous scales (lodiculce, 

 fig. 489, x, #) sometimes wanting ; if *2 in number, collateral, if 



Fig. 490. 



Fig. 489. Floret of Avena with flowering glume removed: 6, palea; x, x, lodicule. 

 Fig. 490. Section of caryopsis of Triticum : a, endosperm ; 6, embryo. 

 Fig. 491. Pistil of a Grass, with feathery stigmas. 



Fig. 492. Section of embryo of Avena, the endosperm removed : a, radicle ; 6, cotyledon ; 

 c, plumule. 



3, the odd one posterior, distinct or united. Stamens hypogy- 

 nous, 1-4, or 6 or more (usually 3, the odd one anterior), 1 oppo- 

 site the flowering glume (alternate with the 2 scales) ; filaments 

 capillary ; anthers versatile. Ovary superior, 1 -celled, with one 

 ascending ovule ; styles 2 or 3, rarely confluent ; stigmas feathery 

 or hairy (fig. 491). Fruit a caryopsis, with an inseparable peri- 

 carp ; embryo lying on one side, at the base of farinaceous 

 perisperm (figs. 490, 492). 



ILLUSTRATIVE GENERA. 



Tribe 1. PANICE^E. Spikelets ar- 

 ticulated closely below the lowest 

 glume, 2-, very rarely Showered; 

 upper glume always containing the 

 most perfect and only fertile Jlower ; 

 axis of spikelet never produced be- 

 yond the flowering glume ; Iodides 

 never morn than 2. 



Panicum, L. 



Setaria, L. 



Sorghum, Pers. 



Andropogon, L. 



Coix, L. 



Tribe 2. PHALARIDE^:. Spike* 

 lets articulated, sometimes as in Pa- 

 niceae, and sometimes at the base of 

 the pedicels near the main axis, 3- or 

 apparently 1-Jlowered ; outer empty 

 glumes laterally compressed, often 

 united at the base, longer than the 

 rest ; floivering glume terminal, 

 hairy, with 2 rudimentary glumes 

 below it ; otherwise as in Panicese. 

 Phalaris, L. 



