110 



OaBBR 166.— GRAMINE^i; 



Order CLVI. GRAMINE^. Grasses. 



Herbs, rarely woody or arborescent, with (mostly) hollow, jointed culms ; with 

 leaves alternate, distychous, on tubular sheatbs split down lo the nodes, and a li^k 

 (stipules) of membranous texture where the leaf joins the sheath. Flowers in little 

 spikelets of 1 or several, with glumes distychously arranged, and collected into 

 spikes, racemes or panicles. Glumes, tho lower pair of .scales in the spikelel, alter- 

 nate, enclosing the fls. Pales (palifi) the outer pair of scales of each particular flower, 

 unequal. Scales (perianth) usually 2 or 3, minute, hypogynoui?, distinct or united. 

 Stamens 1 — 6, commonly 3, anthers versatile, of 2 distinct cells. Ovary simple 

 'with 1 ascending ovule, 2 styles and 2 feathery stigmas. Fruit a, caryopsis. Era- 

 bryo lateral, at the bass of the farinaceous albumen. 



Genera 300, npecies about 8800, unlvcrfially diffused throuj,'Iiout the world, havinfr no other 

 limits than those tlint bound vegetation in sreneral. But the species and tlieir characters are 

 Mftdoly dilferent in different climes. In temperate zones the grasses clothe a large portion of 

 the earth's surface with a compact, soft, green, carpet-like turf; but in tropiciil regions this 

 beautiful grassy turf disappears and tho grasses become larger, more isolated like other plants, 

 fewer in the number of individuals, with broader leaves and more showy ftoweis. 



Properties. — This family doubtless contributes more to the sustenance of man and beast than 

 All others combined. lu sweet and nutritious properties reside botli in the liiriiiaceous albumea 

 ^ the seed and in the herbage. No poisonous <m' even suspicious herb is fnuiul anrumg them, 

 with the single exception of Loliumtemalentum. The jtoisonousand medicinal E-got or Spurred 

 Rye is only a parasitic fungus, and therefore forms no exception to this remark. The stems ot 

 many grasses contain sug.ar, as the Maize and Sugar Cane. Sile-\ is also a frequent ingredient. 

 To thia Order belong the common grains^ Maize, Wheat, Rye, liico, Barley, Oats, etc. The most 

 important of the cultivated grasses are Phleum or Timothy grass, several kinds of Poa, Agrostifl, 

 Alopecurus, Festuca, Aira, Panioum, Clnna, Briza, eto. 



FIG Til- Agrostisalba; al-flowcred apikelct; a, the two glumes. 2. A flower, with tho 

 two nalee, three stamens and two plnmois stigmas. 8. Leersia oryzoides; a flower lemoved 

 from its glumes, showing its 2 hynogynous scales, three stamens and ovary with the two stgmas. 

 4 piileum pratense; a 1-flowered spikelet ; a, glumes; 6, truncate palea; ; etc. 5, Polyiiogon; 

 » 1-flowored spikelet; glumes and lower paleic awneil. C. Holcus lanatus ; a two-flowored 

 ttpikelet ■ a, glumes ; h, the two flowers (upper staminate). 7. Poa pratensis ; a 4-floweretl spiko- 

 iet- o, the 'two glumes ; h, a single flower, with two palece, etc. S. Festuca duriuscula ; a 5-flow- 

 ered spikelet; o, two glumes; *, a single flower. 9. The caryopsia of Hordeum, showing tb<. 

 wnbrjro at the ba^e of the copious albDmeo. 



