170 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



bundle of each leaf (Fig. 282) passes deep towards the 

 centre, and the lateral bundles (Fig. 

 282) curve downwards in the peripheral 

 portions of the, stem. There are many 

 deviations from this type, especially by 

 the bundles having lateral anastomosing 

 branches. The fibro-vascular bundles 

 (or veins) in the leaf are approximately 

 parallel, passing usually from the base 

 ■to the apex (Fig. 283). The flower in the great major- 

 ity of cases in the Monocotyledones, or Monocotyls, is 

 three-parted ; that is, each whorl consists of three mem- 

 bers. As an example of the structure of the seed, the 

 slightly magnified section of a grain of Indian Corn is 

 given (Fig. 284). The germina- 

 tion of the seed is shown in the 

 accompanying figure (Fig. 285). 

 The sub-class is represented by 

 about fifty natural orders, of which 

 the following are interesting or 

 important : 



I. Graminese. The Grasses 

 are herbaceous, or rarely woody, 

 plants, with round, jointed, and 

 (mostly) hollow stems, which have 

 alternate two-ranked leaves. The 

 leaf below is a split sheath (Fig. 

 286) ; above, a narrow, elongated 

 part, called the lamina ; and at the 

 junction of these two there is a 284 



Fig. 283. A parallel-veined leaf. Fig. 284. Section of a grain of Indian Com ; 

 coit cotyledon ; ^l, plumule ; ;-, radicle ; r.c, root-cap ; en, endosperm. 



