BRITISH GEASSES. 



GRAMINE^E. Jusseeu. 



Florets mostly perfect, yet occasionally imperfect, or even 

 without stamens or pistil. One, two, or more imbricated on a 

 common axis or rachis situated within an involucre, called a 

 calyx by Linnaeus, consisting of one or two (rarely none) valves 

 or glumes, the whole constituting a spikelet. 



Perianth, (called corolla by Linnseus,) glumaceous, the fertile 

 florets generally consisting of two dissimilar glumellas or talvelets. 

 The exterior or lower one simple, mostly keeled or having a 

 midrib, the interior or upper one having two lateral or dorsal 

 nerves; occasionally one or even both are wanting. 



Stamens hypogynous, usually three, but either one, two, three, 

 four, five, six, seldom indefinite. 



Anthers, bi-celled, attached by their back near the middle, 

 versatile. 



Ovary superior, single-celled with one ovule, having mostly 

 two (more rarely one, or even none) diminutive hypogynous 

 scales, called lodicules or abortive stamens. 



Styles usually two, which are simple or bifid, more rarely one 

 or three. 



Stigmas mostly plumose. 



Pericarp closely incorporated with the seed. 



Embrio lenticular, external, situated at the base of the farina- 

 ceous albumen. 



The culms or stems generally fistulose, mostly simple, herba- 



C 



