Thk Grassks of Tennkssek. 1()7 



sedj^es. Stiirtiny; with any leaf on the stem of a j:jrass, the next 

 leaf above will be exactly on the opposite side of the stem, while 

 the next or second leaf above will stand directly over the starting- 

 point. Such an arrangement is called distichous or two-ranked; 

 i. e., in counting two leaves from the first we pass completely 

 around the stem. In sedges the leaf-arrangement is three-ranked; 

 it is the third leaf from the first which stands directly above 

 the first. 



The Flowers. — The flowers of grasses possess only the essential 

 organs — the stamens and pistils. Sometimes these organs are 

 separated, when the fiowers are either male or staminate (con- 

 taining stamens only), or female or pistillate (containing pistils 

 only.) These staminate and pistillate fiowers may occupy different 

 parts of the same plant or (more rarely) entirely distinct plants. 

 Flowers having both stamens and pistils are termed hermaphrodite. 



In each flower there are usually three stamens. These have 

 verv slender filaments, and usually versatile, two-celled anthers^ 

 which are pale yellow, sometimes nearly white, or purple, or some 

 shade of red. The pistil consists of the ovary and usually two 

 feathery stigmas, which may be sessile or raised on short styles. 



The fruit or ripened ovary constitutes the ''grain." This is a 

 true caryopsis, i. e., a dry one-seeded fruit in which the outer 

 covering or pericarp is closely adherent to the seed. The "grass 

 seed" of commerce consists of the grain enveloped usually in 

 more or less "chaff." 



Arrangement of the Flo7vers. The arrangement of the flowers in 

 grasses is peculiar. They are situated in what are termed spikelets^ 

 either solitary (one-flowered spikelets,) or two or more together 

 (two to several or many-flowered spikelets.) Each flower is 

 located in the axil of a chaff-like bract or glume called the floiuer- 

 ing glume. At the base of the spikelet there are usually two 

 bracts or glumes having no flowers in their axils; these are the 

 outer or empty glumes. The axis to which these glumes are at- 

 tached is termed the rachilla, and between each flower and this 

 rachilla there is usually a two-nerved bract, the palea or palet. 

 In one-flowered spikelets where there is no extension or pro- 

 longation of the rachilla, this palet is apparently opposite the 

 flowering glume. The low^er pair of glumes — the empty ones — 

 often differ from each other in size or length, and sometimes, 

 though rarely, one or both are absent. The glumes may be 

 awned or "bearded," or awnless; they may be sharp-pointed, obtuse 

 or toothed at the apex; they may be nerveless or one-to many- 

 nerved. As to other variations it is necessary to refer the reader 

 to the larger descriptive works on botany.* 



*The more Important works relating to grasses are Included In ;«ectlon IV. 



