THE GRASS FAMILY. 



119 



Section I. Ovary Superior. 

 The Grass Family. 



(^GraminecB.) 



Annual, or perennial plants, with narrow leaves known 

 as grass, generally producing hollow flowering stems (^culm), 

 which are jointed, with sheathing, alternate leaves, being 

 either annual as the Hay-grass, or perennial as the Bamboo. 

 Flowers terminal, in spikes, racemes, or on simple or com- 

 pound panicles ; each flower instead of having a true calyx 

 and corolla, being composed of three kinds of chafF-like 

 scales (glumes or pale«) anterior to each other, stamens 3 — 6, 

 rarely 2. Filaments and anthers slender. Pistils 2, feathery, 

 seated on a single ovary, which becomes the seed or corn 

 grain. Flowers sometimes unisexual 



The grasses are the most important of all plants to man. 

 Naturally they occupy vast plains and mountain slopes, pro- 

 ducing corn for his bread, and food for his flocks and herds. 

 Nearly 4000 species are enumerated, of which about ISO are 

 natives of Britain. They vary considerably in size, Aira 

 prcBCox and Knappia agrostidea not exceeding two inches in 

 height, while the graceful Bamboo attains a height of 100 feet. 



Grasses contain sugar and silica in their stems, and starch 

 in the albumen of their seeds ; sugar being most abundant 

 in the Sugar-cane, and the silica becoming obvious in the 

 burning of hay or corn stacks, when it is found vitrified in 

 masses. But few species possess poisonous quahties. 



Wheat {Triticum vulgare). A well known annual grass 

 producing the staff of life to millions of people in temperate 

 regions. The various uses of wheaten flour are too numerous 

 and well known to require description. Newly ground flour 

 undergoes the process of dressing, by which the skin (bran) 

 embryo, and other rough particles (pollard), of the grain are 

 separated from the pure flour. " Semolina or Semola " is 

 the hard particles of Italian flour, and is imported into this 

 country. "Macaroni " and " Vermicelli " form a great part 



