OATS 147 



134. The flower. — The inflorescence is in the form of a 

 panicle, which consists of a central stem or rachis, the 

 nodes of which are comparatively few and far apart, and 

 from each node several small branches are given off. 

 The branches coming from a single node are called collec- 

 tively a whorl, the number of whorls, therefore, correspond- 

 ing to the number of nodes, which varies from 3 to 6. 

 The number of branches per whorl varies from 2 to 5 or 

 more. The branches are of various lengths, those of the 

 lower whorls being longer usually than those of the upper 

 whorls. The branches from the same whorl vary in length, 

 some of them rebranching. The spikelets are carried at 

 the end of rather long pedicels. The number of spikelets 

 per panicle may vary from 30 to 70 or more. Each spike- 

 let is made up of two large, chaffy outer glumes which 

 inclose two or more flowers, usually only two of which 

 produce kernels. The flowers are made up of three 

 stamens and a branched, feathery stigma and ovule. The 

 flowers open only for a few hours, and almost always 

 fertilization has been effected before they open. Thus 

 oats are usually self-pollinated and there is little danger of 

 mixing when two varieties are grown side by side. 



The developed kernel remains tightly inclosed within 

 the flowering glume and palea. The two kernels of a 

 spikelet are of unequal size, the lower one being the larger. 

 If three flowers develop, as is quite commonly the case, 

 the third kernel is the smallest of the three, and usually is 

 so small as to be of little value. In some varieties the 

 flowering glume bears a small awn, or beard, which, unlike 

 that of wheat or barley, does not come from the tip of the 

 glume, but arises from a point about two-thirds of the 

 distance from the base. The oat grain, as the term is 

 commonly used, refers to the flowering glume and palea, 



