DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 



Plate I. Frontispiece. Field of wild rice just heading out, near Bemidji, Minn. 

 This field is representative of a large area in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, 

 where the shallow lakes are practically filled with wild-rice plants. This 

 photograph was taken August 28, 1902. 



Plate II. Stems of wild rice. Natural size. Fig. 1. — Portion of the stem of a 

 young plant illustrated in long section to show the pseudonodes and a portion of 

 the leaf-sheath, together with a portion of the stem surrounded by the leaf- 

 sheath, and showing also the ligule and a portion of the leaf-blade with promi- 

 nent midrib. Fig. 2. — An old stem of wild rice showing the curvature of the 

 base and the root scars in whorls. 



Plate III. pig- 1- — A staminate flower of wild rice shown in its natural position, 

 with the glumes spread apart and the six empty anthers still retained by the 

 filament. Enlarged seven times. Fig. 2. — Pistillate flower of wild rice, with 

 the outer glume removed to show the lodecules and the stigmas in their natural 

 position, projected on either side of the inner glume. Enlarged seven times. 



Plate IV. Fig. 1. — Pistillate flower of wild rice, showing both the outer and inner 

 glumes below and only the outer glume, with its prominent awn and bristly 

 hairs, above. The illustration shows the flower at the time it is ready for fer- 

 tilization. The lodecules have expanded and forced the glumes apart below to 

 allow the stigmas to protrude to catch the pollen blown from other plants. 

 Enlarged seven times. Fig. 2.— Panicles of wild rice showing ergot infection. 

 The fungous disease (Claviceps, species undetermined) attacks the young ovaries 

 of the wild-rice plant and completely. destroys them, producing in their stead 

 irregular, purplish black masses of compact hyplue which are called sclerotia. 

 Natural size. 



Plate V. Panicles of wild rice. Fig. 1. — Type of the panicle of Potomac wild rice. 

 In this type the branches of the pistillate portion of the panicle are spreading 

 and bear from 17 to 27 spikelets or seeds. About one-fifth uatural size. Fig. 

 2. — Type of the panicle of Minnesota wild rice. In this type the branches of 

 the pistillate portion of the panicle are closely appressed to the main axis and 

 bear from 3 to 7 spikelets or seeds. About one-fourth natural size. 



Plate VI. Fig. 1. — Indian woman parching wild rice. The wild rice is parched in 

 a large kettle over a slow fire and must be stirred continually during the opera- 

 tion to prevent scorching and popping. The birch-bark basket shown in the 

 foreground is the one used for separating the wild-rice seed from the hulls after 

 it has been parched and sufficiently pounded. Fig. 2. — Freshly gathered wild 

 rice drying on a scaffold. The seed in this condition is exceedingly moist and 

 will ferment unless constantly stirred and allowed to dry rapidly. 



Plate VII. Wild-rice seed with the hull on(C), with the hull off (B ), and parched 

 (A) ; the last also Avith the hull removed. The parched seed shown in the upper 

 portion of the picture is in condition to be used for food. Natural size. 



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