THE GRASS FAMILY 



11 



of a mass of starchy endosperm. [Endosperm means 

 within the sperm or seed. It is the store of food 

 used by the infant plantlet when 

 it begins to grow.] The "germ" of 

 a kernel of corn is the embryo, 

 while the remainder of the kgmel 

 is starchy endosperm. The grain 

 lies in the palea with the Mum 

 (the scar of the point of attach- 

 ment) toward it, and the embryo J 

 on the side toward the^ lemma. 

 Fig. 5 gives two views of a grain, ^'''■\^J^°^^^^^°^' 

 one showing the hilmn^^the other 

 the embryo. In Fig. 81, A (page^^Ql), are two ker- 

 nels of corn showing the €9siabry©s. The grain with 

 very few exceptions is permanently in- 

 closed in the leii»ia and palea, the ma- 

 ture floret being the fruit, that is, the 

 seed wi^ its peraaanent envelopes. The 

 florets are^|)Orne in two ranks and alter- 

 nate upon an axis (the rachilla). Below 

 themjj are s'twojpracts without flowers 

 (theffiluJinies). tfhe glimies, rachilla, and 

 florfts togethCT form the spikelet. 



Ig. 6 is aRagram of a branch with 

 i^esfand »wers arranged as are the 

 les, iCTmhas, paleas, and flowers of 

 sKelet. Fig. 7 is a diagram 

 of a spikeletBbr com^ison with Fig. 6. [The hy- 

 pothetical fjlfw'er-bea^g branchlet is never elongate. 



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