770 



Oedeb 156.— GRAMINB^. 



Ordke CLVI. GRAMINEiE. Grasses. 



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

 leaves alternate, distyohous, on tubular sheaths split down to the nodes, and a li^le 

 (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. Glvmes, the lower pair of scales in the spikelet, alter- 

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

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

 Slaanens 1 — 6, commonly 3, anthers versatile, of 2 distinct ceUs. Ovary simple 

 with 1 ascending ovule, 2 styles and 2 feathery stigmas. Fruii a caryopsis. Em- 

 iryo lateral, at the base of the farinaceous albumen. 



Genera 300, species about 8800, univerBally diffused througliout the worldj having no other 

 limits tliaTj tliose that bound vegetation in general. But the species and their characters are 

 widely different 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 tropical ref^ions this 

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

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



Properties. — This family doubtless contributes mor^o the sustenance of man and beast than 

 all others combined. Its sweet and nutritious properties reside both in the farinaeeous albumen 

 c£ the seed and in the herbage. No poisonous or even suspicious herb is found among them, 

 with the single exception of Lolium temulentum. The poisonous and medicinal Ergot or Spurred 

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

 many grasses contain sugar, as the Maize and Btigar Cane, Silex is also a frequent ingredient. 

 To this Order belong the common gramia, Maize, Wheat, Eye, Eice, Barley;, Oats, etc. The most 

 ioiportant of the cultivated grasses are Phleum or Timothy grass, several kinds of Poa, AgrostiSj 

 ■Aiopecurus, Festuca, Aira, Panicnm, Cinna, Briza, etc 



FIG. 731. AgroBtls alba; a 1-flowored spikelet J a, the two glumes. 2. A flower, -with the 

 two palcns, three stamens and two plumoss stigmas. 8. Leersia oryzoides ; a flower removed 

 from its glumes, showing its 2 hynopynous scales, three stamens and ovary with the two slgmai*. 

 iu Phleum prntense; a l-flowerea spikelet ; a, glumes; 6, truncate palea;; etc. B. Polypogonj 

 a 1-flowered spikelet; cluines and lower palote .Twned. 6. Holous lanatus; a two-flowered 

 spikelet ; a, glumes ; ?;, the two flowers (upper stamlnate). 7. Poa pratensifl ; a 4-flowei-ed spike- 

 let ; rt, the two glumes ; 6, a single flower, with two palew, etc. S. Festuca duriuscula ; a 6-flow- 

 ored spikelet J a, two glumes; 6, o single flower. 8. The caryopsis of llordenm, nhowlng the 

 embryo at the buEe of the coplouealbumeo, 



