^^7- 



504 BOTANY OF THE LIVING PLANT 



paleae : the lowey and outer is anteiioy, the upper and inner is posterior, and 

 the flower itself hes between them. At flowering they gape widely apart, so 

 as to expose the parts of tlio flower. If a flower be found in tliis condition, 

 or if the lower palea be forced back, the flower, as seen from the anterior 

 side, will show the following parts : 



(i) Two lodicules, which are minute, colourless, hypogynous scales, right 

 and left of the median plane. It is by their swelling that the paleae are 

 forced apart at the time of flowering. 



(ii) Three stamens, hypogynous, free, with long flexible fllaments, and 



versatile anthers, bearing powdery 

 pollen. One stamen is median 

 and anterior, the two others 

 ^\J^;^^,j^_j I ■ ,'| obUquely posterior. 



-^'''yiS^-'^^J- t4 f ( (lii) Certainly the gynoecium 



consists of a pear-shaped superior 



ovary, grooved on the posterior 



F \ I side, and bears distally, right and 



■* ~^ ' left, two feathery stigmas. Dis- 



l' — I section shows a single ovule in 



the ovary. 



\ - " _ (,j, The number of such flowers in 



_ each spikelet varies : 8 to lo are 



''f' "'''^^^5^ / common numbers, and they open 



/ '^^ /at intervals in acropetal succes- 



sion. 



The flower may be held to be of 



.„ Jb Liliifloral type, reduced in rela- 



*^ tion to wind-pollination. The 



PiG ,,07 perianth is represented bj' the 



Part of a median longitudmal section of a grain of two lodicules, corresponding tO 



Wheat, sliowiug embryo and scutellum (sc) ^'js -vase. ^^ obUque anterior segments of 



bundle of scutellum; ce=its columnar epithelium; ^ '^ _ 



/'=ligule; c = sheathing part of cotyledon ; ^y=vege the inner series, which being of 



tative cone of stem; /;/> =hypocotyl ; /=epiblast; . „ i.- .(.^. -, i i. 



r -radicle; d -root sheath ; m =micropyle ; /-fum- use m separating the paleae at 



cuius; y/) -vascular bundle of funiculus; / = lateral flow^erinc^ have sur\dved. The 



wall of gi-oove ; c^=pericarp. ( >: 14.) (.\fter Stras- ^ ... 



burger.) stamens correspond m position to 



the outer whorl of the Liliiflorae, 

 while the gynoecium is held to consist of a single carpel, corresponding to 

 the anterior carpel of the Liliiflorae. This floral structure is very constant 

 in the Grasses, but the flowers are variously disposed in their inflorescences. 

 The Rye-Grass may be taken as a good example for the Family, and it is 

 easily recognised. 



The inconspicuous flowers, versatile anthers, dry dusty pollen, and expanded 

 feathery stigmas clearly indicate isjind- pollination. Most (.irass-flowers are 

 homogamous, that is, stamens and stigmas mature simultaneously, but some 

 are protogynous [Alopecurus). 



The iruit is a dry nut, containing one albuminous seed and a lateral einhrvo. 

 Its structure is well illustrated by the grain of wheat or maize (Fig. 407^ 





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