10 



Aim: the bristleor beard; of barley, outs, etc. or uny similar bristle. like appendage 



(alvr; the outer set of floral envelope or leaves of the flower. 



Corolla: the leaves of the Mower Within the Calyx. 

 j Culm; the stem of grasses. 



Floret; a diminutive flower. 



Glume; the husks or floral coverings of grasses, or, particularly, the outer husk or 

 bracts of eaeh spikelet. 



Inflorescence; the arrangement of flowers on the stem. 



Ligule; the little membranous appendage at the summit of the leaf-sheaths of 

 most grasses. 



Palea; chaff; the inner husks of grasses. 



Panicle: an open cluster of flowers. . 



Pistib the seed bearing orgari off the flower. 



Rootstock: root-like trunks or portions of stems- on or under ground. 



Sheath; the base of such leaves which are wrapped around the stem. 



Spike; an arrangement of sessile flowers along a stalk. 

 &pikekt; asmall or a secondary spike. 



[Grays Botany,] 



The florets that are arranged on the culm in panicles, spikes or 

 racemes, have neither calyx nor corolla, : but instead are supported 

 by two sets of bracts, the outer set being called the glumes and the 

 inner set galeae. On one glume is sometimes to be found aslender 

 filament called an awn. In many grasses, however, these awns- are 

 wanting and the absence or presence of the awn together with its 

 position and shape are ail used in connection with other features, to 

 designate the species of the grass. Stamens (fertilizing organs) 

 and pistils (seed forming organs) are found in each floret, sometmes 

 both are present in the same floret and sometimes only one set of 

 a kind in each floret, just as is noticed in other flowering plants 



The stamens are generally in threes or multiple of threes^ 



In determining the species of any grass recourse must be had to 

 the flower and seed, because no other portion of the plant offers such 

 little changes in form and structure. 



A small pocket magnifying glass is found very convenient in 

 examining these plants ; and by aid of the plates given in thifl- 

 work, together with the descriptions furnished, little difficul- 

 ty need arise in arriving at correct conclusions in regard to any 

 of the common species found in this state. This is particularly true 

 if the party making the study will devote a certain amount of time 

 to investigation and practice . These analyses are of special impor- 

 tance in pronouncing upon the utility of the plant for forage pur- 

 poses. It is not always best to pass judgement on one of these spe- 

 cies by the simple effect produced on the eye, because some of our 

 most nutritive grasses are quite coarse looking and unattractive. 



A method for analysis, copied fromFlint's u Grass and Forage 

 Plants" is added below to help those who may desire to find the 

 names of any of the common grasses. 



