52 THE GRASSES 



stigma, a portion of the surface of the style denuded of 

 epidermis, often assuming a great diversity of appearance. 



Flowers possessing both these essential organs are perfect 

 (hermaphrodite or bi-sexual), although from absence of the 

 floral envelopes they may be incomplete. 



"Whenever either of these essential organs is wanting or 

 abortive in one flower of the same individual or species, 

 and present on another, the flower is said to be diclinous or 

 unisexual. The flower which has the stamen only is called 

 the male or sterile flower, and the one with pistils only 

 female or fertile flower. 



In separated flowers the two kinds of blossoms may be 

 borne either on different parts of the same individual, or 

 upon entirely different individuals, the flowers in the first 

 instance, like these of Indian corn or oak, are called monoe- 

 cious (living in one house), or they are borne upon entirely 

 different individuals, like hemp or sassafras, and then they 

 are called dioecious (living in two houses). One is called 

 the male plant, the other the female. 



Sometimes both these conditions occur upon the same spe- 

 cies, and plants with such flowers are called polygamous. 

 In some flowers the floral envelopes are developed, while 

 the pistils and stamens remain undeveloped, and are there- 

 fore said to be neutral. 



In some grasses and other plants all parts of a flower are 

 sometimes reduced to a mere rudiment. 



The supremacy in the vegetable world, in regard to struc- 

 ture, is by no means so undisputed as in the animal, and 

 several families are contesting for the prize. 



The power of voluntary motion is one of the essential 

 qualities of superiority of animal over vegetable life, and 

 wherever an approach to such power of self-motion is ob- 

 served, we concede such species of plants a higher rank in 

 relation to their less gifted brethren. 



The Leguminous family, which concerns us so much for 

 agricultural reasons, and as a large^shareholder in our mea- 



