﻿1890.] 
  BOTANICAL 
  GAZETTE. 
  IO7 
  

  

  inch 
  or 
  two 
  long. 
  These 
  male 
  spikelets 
  usually 
  have 
  lo 
  to 
  

   15 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  structure 
  (fl. 
  gl., 
  palet 
  and 
  stamens) 
  

   but 
  with 
  only 
  one 
  empty 
  glume 
  or 
  none. 
  In 
  appearance 
  

   the\^ 
  somewhat 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  Distichlis, 
  or 
  Uniola. 
  

  

  The 
  fertile 
  panicle 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  variable 
  number 
  (3 
  

   to 
  6) 
  of 
  lateral 
  branches, 
  which 
  are 
  approximate, 
  and 
  each 
  

   one 
  partly 
  enclosed 
  by 
  the 
  loose 
  sheath 
  of 
  a 
  leaf 
  These 
  

   lateral 
  branches, 
  or 
  flow^er-clusters, 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   bracts, 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  (3 
  or 
  4) 
  fruiting 
  spikes 
  (sometimes 
  a 
  

   fruiting 
  spike 
  has 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  simple 
  bract 
  at 
  its 
  base) 
  or 
  

   there 
  may 
  be 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  alternate 
  palet-like 
  bracts, 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  

   contains 
  in 
  its 
  axil 
  a 
  fruit 
  spike, 
  the 
  other 
  (at 
  least 
  some- 
  

   times) 
  contains 
  a 
  small 
  abortive 
  branch, 
  but 
  they 
  have 
  two 
  

   strong 
  winged 
  nerves, 
  one 
  to 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  middle, 
  as 
  in 
  

   an 
  ordinary 
  palet, 
  but 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  have 
  in 
  addition 
  smaller 
  

   nerves 
  between 
  the 
  large 
  one 
  and 
  the 
  margin. 
  The 
  fruit 
  

   spike 
  is 
  linear, 
  tapering 
  to 
  a 
  sharp 
  point 
  an 
  inch 
  long 
  or 
  less, 
  

   cylindrical, 
  largest 
  near 
  the 
  base, 
  dense, 
  and 
  containing, 
  im- 
  

   bedded 
  in 
  its 
  substance, 
  two 
  linear 
  seeds, 
  one 
  above 
  the 
  other, 
  

   each 
  2 
  lines 
  long, 
  with 
  no 
  other 
  covering, 
  the 
  two 
  styles 
  

   emerging 
  through 
  a 
  small 
  furrowed 
  opening, 
  and 
  partly 
  cov- 
  

   ered 
  with 
  a 
  slender, 
  tongue 
  proceeding 
  from 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  

   spike. 
  The 
  female 
  fascicles 
  seem 
  to 
  represent 
  a 
  much 
  con- 
  

   densed 
  branch, 
  from 
  which 
  originate 
  several 
  fruiting 
  spikes. 
  

   These 
  spikes 
  do 
  not, 
  according 
  to 
  my 
  observation, 
  terminate 
  

   a 
  branch, 
  but 
  rather 
  arise 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  a 
  

   branch 
  or 
  rhachis, 
  which 
  terminates 
  with 
  an 
  abortive 
  branch. 
  

  

  Perhaps, 
  in 
  most 
  if 
  not 
  all 
  cases, 
  from 
  each 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  

   rhachis 
  arises 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  bracts, 
  and 
  encloses 
  a 
  fruiting 
  

   spike 
  and. 
  between 
  that 
  and 
  the 
  bract, 
  an 
  abortive 
  branch, 
  or 
  

   what 
  I 
  take 
  to 
  be 
  such, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  snudler 
  palet-Hke 
  

   bract 
  flattened 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  sides 
  overhipping 
  and 
  enclosing 
  

   some 
  more 
  rudimentary 
  bracts. 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  the 
  leaf-sheath 
  of 
  the 
  fascicle 
  answers 
  for 
  a 
  

   bract 
  and 
  embraces 
  a 
  fruit 
  spike, 
  and 
  also 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  

   abortive 
  branches 
  or 
  rudiments. 
  What 
  is 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  this 
  

   fruit 
  spike? 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  spike 
  with, 
  most 
  generally, 
  two 
  spikelets, 
  

   each 
  reduced 
  to 
  a 
  single 
  ovary 
  with 
  its 
  two 
  styles, 
  the 
  styles 
  

   protruding 
  from 
  a 
  lateral 
  opening, 
  and 
  the 
  ovary 
  perfectly 
  

   imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  condensed 
  tissue, 
  which 
  probably 
  represents 
  

   a 
  flowering 
  glume. 
  Are 
  there 
  an}^ 
  analogous 
  examples 
  

   among 
  grasses? 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  monoecious 
  grass 
  which 
  

   have 
  the 
  female 
  flowers 
  almost 
  completely 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  

   bony 
  envelope, 
  of 
  which 
  a 
  familiar 
  example 
  is 
  Coix 
  lachryma. 
  

  

  