84 ' BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



the pistil from three to one, a loss of one whorl of stamens, 

 and a reduction in the number of perianth lobes. 



Although commonly assumed to be one-carpelled, the 

 grass pistil is really tri-carpellary. This latter view is 

 held by a number of morphologists (Doell and Goebel), 

 and recently has been quite conclusively demonstrated 

 by Walker and Schuster. In all grasses, the pistil has 

 three fibro-vascular bundles. Two of these extend to the 

 style branches and the third (dorsal) extends to the 

 dorsal lobe of the pistil or to the third rudimentary style 

 branch, when present. This third bundle bears the ovule. 

 In Streptochata and Bamhusa, there are three styles. 

 Furthermore, it should be noted that the three vascular 

 bundles stand in regular alternation with the second whorl of 

 stamens and the inner whorl of the perianth. 



Rowlee, in a study of Arundinaria, a bamboo, concluded 

 that the lodicules represent the inner perianth whorl. The 

 common view, as presented by Hackel, has been that lodi- 

 cules are bracts. Schuster's researches substantiate those 

 of Rowlee. He finds that, although two lodicules is the com- 

 mon number, a third ■ (anterior) one occasionally occurs (in 

 Bambusae) ; that the two (posterior) lodicules are not bound 

 together at first but originate separately; that in one grass 

 genus (Strepiochaeta) , at least, the three lodicules are inde- 

 pendent. From these studies, it appears that the lodicules, 

 morphologically, are to be considered as the inner perianth 

 whorl. The same worker (Schuster) considers the palet to 

 represent the outer perianth whorl of this lily-like flower. 

 The palet is usually two-keeled or two-nerved. There are 

 cases in which the palet is divided into two parts, and in 

 which there is a third part in a rudimentary condition. In 

 the majority of grasses, the two parts of the palet arise from 

 separate primordia, later growing together to form a single 



