GKAMINE^E. . 937 



and often differently-shaped from the others. The succeeding, or 

 flowering glumes, enclose each a rather smaller scale called a palea, 

 usually thinner, and with 2 longitudinal ribs or veins, placed either 

 between the glume and the axis of the spikelet, with its back to 

 the axis, or apparently opposite the glume at the end of the axis. 

 Where there are more than three glumes, the third or lowest 

 flowering glume is usually close to the second, its flower is some- 

 times imperfect, or it is even quite empty, and it is often interme- 

 diate in shape betwen the outer empty ones and the succeeding 

 flowering ones, which are inserted on the axis at distinct inter- 

 vals. "Within the palea, or apparently between the flowering 

 glume and the palea, is the real flower, consisting usually of 2 

 minute, almost microscopical scales called lodicules, of 3 (rarely 

 2 or 6) stamens, and of a 1-celled, 1-ovuled ovary, crowned by 2 

 more or less feathery styles. The name of flower, however, is 

 here, as in other works, generally meant to include the flowering 

 glume and palea. Fruit 1-seeded and seed-like, called a grain or 

 caryopsis, consisting of the real seed and pericarp, either free or 

 adhering to the persistent palea, or enclosed in the more or less 

 hardened flowering glume and palea, or in the outer glumes. 

 Embryo small, at the base of a mealy albumen. 



Such is the general plan upon which the flowers of Grasses are 

 arranged, but there are many variations which require to be carefully 

 attended to in discriminating the genera of this most natural, but some- 

 what difficult family. Where the spikelet contains but one flower, its 

 flowering glume and inner palea appear often almost opposite to each 

 other, like an inner pair of glumes within the outer empty ones. 

 Sometimes there are three or even more outer, empty glumes, either 

 passing gradually into the shape of the flowering ones, or one or two, 

 very differently shaped (usually much smaller), are placed between the 

 outer empty pair and the flowering one ; or the axis of the spikelet 

 terminates in one or more rudimentary, empty glumes. Occasionally 

 one flower, either below or above the perfect one, has stamens only, 

 and some exotic species are always monoecious or dioecious. Fre- 

 quently the midrib of the flowering glumes alone, or of the interme- 

 diate empty ones alone, or of all the glumes, is prolonged into a bristle, 

 sometimes very long, called an awn, and this awn is either terminal, 

 proceeding from the point of the glume or from a notch at the top, or 

 is inserted lower down, on its back, or at its very base. Sometimes 

 the whole spikelet contains only two glumes, one empty, the other 

 flowering, with or even without a palea, or is reduced to a single flowering 



VOL. II. 2 L 



