THE PAMPAS GRASSES 
171 
Dr. IJiidlcy^ Ludwig Spcith^ Aline j gether in the sheath as only Nature can 
Mocqiieris^ Toussai?it Ouverture^ \ ]p?ic\s.. The branches of the panicle and 
Volcaii^ P/iiiemo7i^ P?'csjde?2t Massa?'t. j their innumerable divisions are all up- 
DouBLEs. White — Madame Le- right and parallel, pale green and soft, 
moine^ Mada/ne Casi^nir Perie?^^ Obe- held in position by the sheath. The 
lisque^MadaincAbelChdte?iay. Laven- spikelets are thin, soft, faintly tinged 
der and blue — Alpho7ise Lavallec, with green, and like the florets, still 
President Grevy^Lamarck^Leon Simo7i^ closed. As in most other grasses, they 
Monujnent Car?iot^ Condorcet^ Doye?i j possess a double outer wrapper which 
Keteleer^ Guizot^ Marc Micheli. Dark acts as common involucre to the florets 
shades — Charles yoly^ Colbert., Geor- j and consists of the so-called " lower and 
ges Be Hair., La Tour d' Atcvergne., \ upper glumes." Similarly, each floret 
Souve?rir de Louis T hi bant., Marechal has its own wrapper of two pieces, a 
de Bassofnpierre. Rosy - lilac — : lower and outer one known as the 
Madafne Joules Fi^iger^ Rosea gra7idi- \ "valve" or "flowering-glume," and an 
flora., and E7nile Le7noine. upper and inner one called "palea." 
THE PAMPAS GRASSES. {Corta- Glumes and valves are somewhat similar, 
deria., Stapf .) but whilst the glumes are quite smooth. 
The common Pampas Grass of gardens \ the valves are frequently covered in the 
is familiar to us all. Introduced into lower part of their outer surface with 
this country more than half a century ! long silky hairs, at this stage folded 
ago, it has remained one of the most I tightly to them. Lastly, each floret 
ornamental grasses of our parks and encloses a flower proper, built on the 
gardens. Who would miss its stately plan of the typical grass-flower, save 
silvery plumes, rising on faultless shafts that it is either male or female, and 
from a large tussock of long, dark-green contains the organs of the other sex in 
leaves, slightly twisted and falling in an arrested or rudimentary condition, 
delicate curves ? The plumes are late ; Thus the male flowers consist of 2 little 
in coming, but when, in the height of | scales {lodicules).,^ stamens, andarudi- 
summer, the verdure of the garden has j mentary pistil ; the female flowers show 
attained its deepest, then the young 2 lodicules, 3 rudimentary stamens 
plumes swathed in pale green sheaths (sta7ni7iodes)., and the pistil, 
emerge from the heart of the tussock | As the creased wings of a butterfly 
where they have long been forming. : emerging from the chrysalis unfold, 
Borne upwards on the rapidly extend- stretch, dry, and stiffen, so do the parts 
ing shafts, they slip clear of their tight | of the panicle when the flowering stage 
wrappers and gradually unfold in all j is reached. The branches and branch- 
their grace of colour and lustre. Each : lets lengthen, diverge, and stiffen, the 
plume contains thousands of small glumes spread, the florets gape, and the 
spikelets and each spikelet from 3 to j hairs at the back oi the valves rise al- 
6 florets, which have lain packed to- most at right angles. In the male plant 
