The centre of the flower is occupied by the Pistil, the base of 

 which, a small oblong or rounded body, is termed the Ovary or 

 Germen, and becomes when ripe the fruit, consisting of a case 

 including a single seed. The fruit of a Grass, being inseparable 

 from the seed, is only recognized by the botanist, the term Seed or 

 Grain being that by which it is generally distinguished. From 

 the Bimimit of the Ovary extend, in most instances, two slender 

 processes, the Styles, which usually terminate in more or less 

 feather-like extremities, the Stigmas. 



All the parts above described are illustrated in our magnified 

 figures, and, in most of the plates, the Glumes are marked by the 

 letter a, the Palese or separate flower by b, while c represents the 

 Pistil. The Stigmas of the last are often very beautiful micro- 

 scopic objects. 



Other features are observable, by close investigation, in the 

 flowers of many of the Grasses ; but, however interesting to the 

 scientific botanist, as associated with his theories of floral structure, 

 they are not, at present, available for the purposes of classification, 

 and consequently of no importance to the general observer, for 

 whose assistance alone this description is intended. The persevering 

 student, desirous of extending his acquaintance with the plants 

 before us, beyond the capability of distinguishing species, cannot 

 do better than consult, for details not appertaining to our plan, 

 the " Vegetable Kingdom " of Dr. Lindley, article " Graminaceae," 

 where the leading views and theories of Grass-structure are quoted 

 and discussed at a length incompatible with the Umits of this 

 work. 



The contents of the Glumes are styled Locustae or Spikelets. 

 I have adopted the latter term ; describing the Spikelets as being 

 one-, two-, or more- flowered, signifying that so many perfect 

 flowers will be found within each pair of Glumes. By a perfect 

 flower is generally understood, one containing Stamens and Pistil ; 

 but these organs are not always both present within the same 



