GLUMIFER.E 



30I 



water known as keorha. The stilted roots of some 

 species are worthy of notice, so also the aggregate 

 spurious pine-apple-like fruit of others. 



Mostly moth-fiowers. 



Nat. Order 4. Typfiacece. — These are aquatic 

 marshy herbs, of which hogla (Typha elepliantina and 

 T. angUrStata) (fig. 269), tall bulrushes 6 to 12 feet high, 

 found abundantly in standing fresh water or slow- 

 moving waters which do not dry up during the hot 

 season, are well known. The leaves of hogla are largely 

 used about Calcutta for thatching temporary sheds. 



Monoecious, mostly protogynous wind-flowers in 

 capitate or cylindric spikes characterize the Order. 



Sub-class 



GlUMIFERjE 



Nat. Order i. Graminacece. — Herbs, rarely shrubs 

 or trees. Stems (culm) generally 

 fistular, i.e. hollow in the internode 

 and solid at the node, frequently 

 strengthened by the deposition of 

 silica (sand) on the outer wall of the 

 epidermal cells. Leaves distichous, 

 sheath forming a tube enclosing the 

 stem but split down the side oppo- 

 site the blade, with a transverse hy- 

 aline or hairy ligule at the apex of 

 the sheath facing the blade. Petiole 

 usually absent, when present very 

 short. Flowers usually 2-sexual, 

 occasionally unisexual and mon- 

 oecious (Maize), arranged in short 

 spikelets which are usually numer- 

 ous and either inserted sessilely on the rachis forming 

 a compound spike, or pediceled, forming a raceme or 



Figf. 270. — Grass Sptkelet 

 (diagrammatic) 



OT', Ovary, si. Stigma. 

 e^. , A pair of empty 

 g^lumes. f.g.r Flowering- 

 gflume. /, Palea. /, Lodi- 

 cules. s, Stamens. (After 

 Strasburg^er.) 



