112 A CYTOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SOME SPECIES 
begins to stretch and has a length of 2 cM. The highest internodes have 
not yet started stretching. 
Fig. 7 represents a flowerstem of Bandjermassin, the panicle of which 
is beginning to appear. The distances between the highest leatjoints are 
much greater than in the case of the stem pictured in fig. 6. The cause 
is the beginning of the stretching of the highest internodes: internode 
| surpasses already all lower ones in length. The panicle is now adult 
and surpasses the one of fig. 6 but little in length. The greatest growth 
of the panicle consequently does not take place during the flagstage 
but during the boenting-stage. 
Fig. 8 represents a stem of Bandjermassin hitam in full flower. The 
axis below the panicle has attained considerable length and the highest 
internodes surpass the lower ones distinctly in length. Generally spea- 
king, the panicle has attained a fifth or a sixth of its total length when 
the first signs of flowering become visible. When the stem proceeds 
from the boenting-stage to the flag-stage, the panicle has reached alrea- 
dy approximately ?/, of its final length. During this stage the lateral 
axes and spikelets are formed and the generative organs also. The top 
of the panicle preceeds the base considerably in development. 
If one examines a panicle from a top,the flag of which has not yet ap- 
peared wholly above the sheath of the second leaf, one will be able to 
distinguish the anthers already plainly in the spikelets near the top, 
while there is usually as yet no sign of them in those near the base; even 
the glumes of these spikelets may yet be very little developed. Micro- 
tome sections of the spikelets from the top of such an inflorescence show 
the presence of PMC and EMC 5, but these are not yet dividing. The 
boenting-stage is therefore too young a stage to investigate the reduc- 
tion-division. 
Dividing PMC can however be found in abundance in infloréscen- 
ces of stemtops which have just begun to flag, so that the division of 
the PMC begins at the transitionstage between boenting and flagging. 
Dividing PMC appear first at the top of the inflorescence; when the 
flowers there contain already pollengrains they can be met with in the 
middle of the panicle, later still at the base of it. The flowers at the top 
of an axis are always older than those at the base. Inthe caseof S. spon- 
taneum the peduncled spikelet of a pair is always further developed 
*) Pollenmothercells and Embryosacmothercells. 
