60 



ACADEMIC BOTANY. 



sists of two small scales called Squamulce, which represent 

 a calyx. The flower usually has three stamens ; some- 

 times six, as in Rice (Oryza). The ovary is Free (not 

 adherent to the perianth) ; it is one-celled, one-ovuled ; but 

 it has two long styles (sometimes three, as in Bamboo). 

 The styles have long, feathered stigmas, with simple or 

 branched hairs ready to catch the fine pollen blown to 

 them by the wind. The ovary has olie cell and one ovule. 

 As it develops and ripens, the ovary grows fast to the 

 ovule, so that it is inseparable except by force (Fig. 6, 

 A, C, D). This sort of grain is called a Caryopsis (Gr. 

 haryon, nut, opsis, appearance). The pollen-grains now 

 have special openings for the emission of the pollen-tube 

 (Fig. 52, C). 



83. The Grasses in- 

 clude not only the 

 small grains, hut the 

 Indian Corn, Sugar- 

 Cane, and the giant 

 Bamboo of India, sixty 

 to one hundred feet 

 high; its hollow, 

 jointed stem is a foot 

 in diameter, and used 

 for a thousand pur- 

 poses. 



84. The Sedges 



are coarse, grass- 

 like plants ; the 

 stems usually solid, 

 and often trigonous 

 (3-angled). They 

 are of little use to 

 man. Several spe- 

 cies in India and Egypt serve to make ropes and mats. 



Fig. 52. — A, spikelet of Oats (Avtma mtiva) : g, g, glnmps ; 

 pe, pi, exterior and interior palese ; a, awn ; n/, sterile 

 flower. B, separate flower of Wheat {Trilicum vulgare), 

 showing the 3 stamens ; 2 styles with feathered stigmas ; 

 luT^e ovary; and the two squamulje which form the peri- 

 anth. C, pollen-grain of Orchard Grass {Dactrjlis ghymarabi). 



Among them is the famed Papyrus (Fig. 53), a native of Egypt 

 and the neighboring countries. Prom the inner part of the stem the 

 ancients cut very thin slices, which they hammered and smoothed into 

 long rectangular sheets, making a beautiful and durable paper. The 

 Greek name Papyrus is still retained both in Botany and in the English 

 language. It is called Babeer in Syria ; our English word paper comes* 

 from the Greek. Papyrus was also made into i;opes ; the bridge of boats 



