BRITISH GRASSES. 



GRAMINE^. 



IpLORETS mostly perfect, yet occasionally imperfect, or even without 

 -L stamens or pistil. One, two, or more imbricated on a common 

 axis or rachis situated within an involucre, called a calyx by Linnaeus, 

 consisting of one or two (rarely none) valves or glumes, the whole 

 constituting a spikelet. 



Perianth, (called corolla by Linnaeus,) glumaceous, the fertile florets 

 generally consisting of two dissimilar glumellas or valvelets. The 

 exterior or lower one simple, mostly keeled or having a midrib, the 

 interior or upper one having two lateral or dorsal nerves : occasionally 

 one or even both are wanting. 



Stamens hypogynous, usually three, but either one, two, three, four, 

 five, six, seldom indefinite. 



Anthers bicelled, attached by their back near the middle, versatile. 



Ovary superior, single-celled with one ovule, having mostly two 

 (more rarely one, or even none) diminutive hypogynous scales, called 

 lodicules or abortive stamens. 



Styles usually two, which are simple or bifid, more rarely one or 

 three. 



Stigmas mostly plumose. 



Pericarp closely incorporated with the seed. 



Embrio lenticular, external, situated at the base of the farinaceous 

 albumen. 



The culms or stems generally fistulose, mostly simple, herbaceous, 

 and knotted. Occasionally branched, seldom shrubby. Hollow mostly, 

 being closed at the joints. 



Leaves, a single one to each node, having a sheath slit longitudinally 



