102 



FLOWER-LAND. 



ig. 83. A spike of Barley. 

 b spikelet. 



you to understand this 

 better (Fig. 84) ; and 

 there is a picture of a 

 flower of a common grass 

 in Fig. 150, which you 

 should turn to look at. 



But let us pick an um- 

 brella or umbelliferous 



will do very well. Here 

 you see the stamens and 

 pistil of the flowers are en- 

 closed by scaly bracts, 

 which are called il palece?* 

 At the bottom of the spike 

 there are two bracts, in the 

 axils of which no flowers 

 are being developed ; and 

 such bracts in grasses arc 

 called "glumes"* Here is 

 a larger picture of a spike- 

 let of wheat which will help 



Fig. 84. Spikelet of Wheat, dis- 

 sected and magnified : x the axis 

 of the spikelet, g the glumes, b r b 2 

 lower palea; with awn (gr), B i 

 B 2 flowers raised from the axis 

 with the upper palese (ps.), a an- 

 thers, y pistil, with large seed bag. 



* Some botanists call bracts nearest to, and enclosing the flower, 

 " palese ; " and the other bracts they call " glumes," the one growing 

 opposite to the palese being a " flowering glume." The " aivn " is the 

 sharp needle-like point. 



