54 
Order 6RAMINEJE. 
This -was long considered to be the largest Order amongst 
Monocotyledons; it is now found, however, that the Orchids* far 
outnumber it in species, although not in individuals, for grasses abound 
and cover a large portion of the earth’s siu-face, and in importance to 
man no family of plant stands higher, 
Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, in little green or more or 
less scarious spikes called spiJcelctSi consisting of several scale-like 
distichous hracts called glumes, the 2 or sometimes 1 or rarely 3 or 
more lower ones and sometimes 1 or more upper ones empty, the other 
one or more witli a sessile flower in the axil ot each. No normal 
perianth, but the flower usually enclosed in a 2-nerved glume-like scale 
called a (supposed to represent the 2 bracteoles of Tl3'^polytrea3 
or the perigynium of Cariceac), and the perianth probably'- represented 
by 2 or rarely 3 small usually very thin and hyaline scales called 
locliciiles, tlie palca or the lodicules or hutli defleient iu a few genera. 
Stamens usually 3, occasionally reduced to 2 or 1, in a few genera 6 or 
more; filamcms free, flliforin ; anthers usually' exserted from the 
spikeiet, vei’satiie, ovnte-oblong or linear, with 2 parallel cells opening 
longitudinally without auy prominent connective. Ovary entire, 
1-celled, with 1 erect anatropous ovule. Styles 2 or rarely 3, free or 
united at the base into a 2 or 3-brnnched style, the ii])per stigmatic 
portion or Hiigman usually long, either feathery with simple or branched 
stigmatic liairs, or more rarely simple with the stigmatic hairs very- 
short or reduced to scarcely ])Toiuinent ]>apil]ai. Fruit a small seed-like 
nut or utricle, often enclosed in tlie palca and subtending glume, the 
tl}in lucjiibranous pericarp usually closely adnate to tlie seed and 
inseparable from it, sometimes adnate also to the enclosing palea, in 
a few genera free and loosely surrounding the seed. Seed erect, 
albuminous, with a thin adnate testa. Embryo small, usually globular 
or nearlj’ so, on one side of the base of the albumen, jferbs, usually 
tufted or decun.bent or creeping and rooting at the base, sometimes 
tall and branching, shrubby or arborescent. Stems usually hollow 
between the nodes. Leaves alternate, entire, parallel-veined, usually 
long and narrow, sheathing the stem at their base, hut the sheaths 
split open from the base opposite the blade and often ending uithin 
the blade in a scarious or eiliate appendage catled a ligiila. 
Infloresi^ence terminal, rarely also from the sheaths of the upper 
leaves, the spikelets variously arranged in spikes, racemes, panicles, or 
heads. Bracts occasionally but rarely subtending the branches of the 
panicle or single spikelets. 
Seuteb a. PAN1CACE.F. 
Spikelets articulate with the pedicel bclow^ the glumes, with a 
single terminal fertile flower, in addition to which there is sometimes 
a male or sterile flower below it. 
Mr, Beutbam t-'aya : — “This first main diviBion of Gramine^e is very fairly defined 
by the combination of two charactere— the articulation of tlie pedicel below the 
spikeiet orcbister of spikelets, and the single fertile flower apparently terminal, with 
or without a sir»gle male or sterile one below it. Where either of th'jse two characters 
fails, the plant should bo referred to Poaceaj.” 
* Nuttiber of species rcspcetivelv — Orcliids, between -1,000 and 5,000; 
G-rainiiieiC, between 3,UU0 and 4,000. 
