MILLET 



217 



Spikelets and Flower. — The spikelets are elliptical, and 

 usually shorter than the bristles, which subtend them. 

 Each spikelet (Fig. 83) has two flowers, the lower ster- 

 ile, the upper with both stamens and pistil. The lower- 

 most glume is oval, pointed, three-nerved, and about one- 

 third the length of the spikelet. The second glume is 

 five-nerved, and shghtly shorter than the spikelet; it sur- 

 rounds the lemma of the sterile flower. The lemma of 

 the fertile flower is broad-oval, and five-nerved; the palet 

 is about the same length as its lemma. Both lemma and 



glume sterile flower 



jertile 'flower 



Ind £lume 



Fig. 83. — Dissected spikelet of common millet (Chsetochloa italica). X lo 



palet of the fertile flower are smooth, shining, hardened 

 structures. The lodicules are fleshy. There are three 

 stamens. The ovary is long-oval and smooth; its style has 

 two long branches, with the rudiment of a third. 



Pollination. — Cross-pollination is the rule; self-pollination 

 occasionally occurs. 



Mature Grain (Fig. 84) . — The lemma and palet enclose 

 the mature kernel. The grain is oval, shining, 2 to 23^ milli- 

 meters long and i}i to i}i millimeters wide. The kernel is 

 broad-oval, smooth, and white; it does not have a groove or 

 furrow. The position of the embryo is indicated by a mark 



