^6 LETTER XXII. 



Thus far then we have two peculiarities in Grasses ; 

 their JioUow round stems, with partitions at the joints, 

 and the Ugulate leaves. 



The flowers are still more unlike what you have 

 before seen. At the top of the stem of the Brome- 

 grass, a number of slender branches appear, turned 

 chiefly towards one side, and by their weight giv- 

 ing a somewhat nodding appearance to the parts 

 they bear {fig. 1.); those parts (a. a. a.) are oblong 

 green bodies, apparently composed of scales after the 

 manner of a leaf bud ; in reality they are little col- 

 lections of flowers, whence they are named spikelets 

 (or spiculae or locustse, as they say in Botanical Latin). 



Each spikelet is constructed as follows. Firstly, 

 at its base {fig. 3. a. «.) are two green scales, each of 

 which has about five ribs ; these are the glumes 

 strictly speaking ; there is no trace of either pistils or 

 stamens in their bosom, on the contrary they are al- 

 ways found to be perfectly empty. When the glumes 

 are removed you come to some other parts, which at 

 first sight look like glumes ; but on a more careful 

 inspection you will remark that they are composed of 

 more scales than one, have a stiff" bristle at their back, 

 and contain some stamens, &c. in their bosom. These 

 are called florets ; in the Brome-grass there is about 

 ten of them placed one above the other in two op- 

 posite rows ( fig. 3. b.). 



Each floret consists of two scales called pale^ 

 {fig. 4. a. & b.) ; of which the more external (a.) is the 

 larger, is covered all over the outside with soft hairs, 

 and bears at its back a little below the end (c.) a stiffs 



