VI] MORPHOLOGY OF THE FLOWER 97 



and consists in the typical case of three stamens and one 

 carpel. The development of the ovary lends no support 

 to the view that there are two carpels : the stigmatic 

 plumes are not separate styles. Nor does the fact that 

 some grasses have six stamens lend support to the idea 

 that the flower is derived from the trimerous type 

 so common in Monocotyledons : other numbers may 

 occur — e.g. as few as two (Anthoxanthum, Fig. 32) or 

 even one only ( Uniola, Cinna, &c.) or as many as 20 or 40 

 in certain other exotic grasses. 



Even when three stigmatic plumes are developed, as 

 in some Bamboos, close investigation does not confirm 

 the view that the ovary consists of more than one 

 carpel. 



We must therefore regard the flower of the grass as 

 typically composed of one carpel and three stamens, with 

 no perianth whatever. It is subtended by one or more 

 bracteoles (the lodicules), and enclosed in a pair of 

 bracteoles one higher than the other (the palese). The 

 glumes are bracts of the partial inflorescence — the 

 spikelet. 



That there are some departures from this type in 

 detail does not invalidate the importance of the fact that 

 most grasses conform to it. 



I now pass to the consideration of a grouping of 

 our ordinary grasses according to their floral arrange- 

 ments. 



The student should distinctly understand that the 

 following notes are intended to serve as an introduction 

 to the floral characters of our grasses, and not to replace 



w. 7 



