CH. I] 



The Morphology of Grasses 



13 



(when ripe) have long slender filaments which are attached to 

 the long anthers, as shown in Fig. 16, thus allowing considerable 

 freedom of movement to the latter. Other numbers of stamens 

 are present in certain exotic species, but all British species have 

 three with the exception of Sweet Vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum), 



Fig. 16. Flower of Lolium perenne much enlarged, showing the position of the 

 ovary (o.), with, its feathery stigmas (st.), the three stamens (stam.) with their 

 versatile anthers (hung so as to turn freely), and the two lodieule3 (/.). The 

 inner palea is shown at the back with its folded margins (/.). The outer palea 

 has been removed. 



which has only two. The ovary consists of a small ovoid body, 

 which is either glabrous or hairy, and bears a pair of divergent 

 feathery stigmas at its apex. At the base of the ovary are two 

 very small scales which can only be readily observed with a magni- 

 fying glass at about the time of flowering. They are known as 



