61 
Fig. 3. The same at a later stage of flowering, with the inner glumes removed to shew the 
pales. The lower pale embraces the base of the flower. The filaments of the stamens 
have bent so that the anthers now lie below the stigmas, and the pollen can cross-ferti- 
lize other spikelets. | 
» 4 The upper pale and a young flower with one of the stamens removed, shewing the pistil, 
and the stamen opposite the upper pale. 
, 9. A young flower, composed of two stamens and a pistil, but no lodicules. 
; 6. The false fruit (seed). The long awn of the inner pale is now bent and twisted (com- 
pare fig. 2). 
, 4% The same with the inner glumes removed, shewing the lower pale. 
, 8. The same with the lower pale removed; the part of the caryopsis to the right is co- 
vered by the upper pale, to the left it is bare. 
» 9. The same, but the upper pale removed, giving a side view of the caryopsis. 
,, 40. The caryopsis from the dorsal surface. 
» 1. The long obtuse ligule of a culm leaf. 
», 42. Diagram of the cylindrical spikelet. Observe the ribs of the glumes, and the stamens 
opposite the pales. 
», 413. Transverse section of a leaf-blade (after Lund), shewing the low ribs. 
Botanical description. Sweet-scented vernal grass is perennial. The branches form a compact tuft 
of »bottom grass« (fig. B): they are either intravaginal, or, especially those which originate from the older 
parts, extravaginal. The rhizome is contracted and only rarely has elongated branches; the tuft is thus 
simple. The sheaths on the underground parts are colourless and very persistent. The culms are 12—18 
inches high, erect, smooth, and naked beneath the panicle (fig. A), The Jeaf-blades are more or less 
hairy on the margins especially about the base, convolute in the bud (fig. B), afterwards flat and slightly 
ribbed on the upper surface (fig. 13). The leaf-sheath is smooth; the ligule, long and obtuse (fig. 11). The 
inflorescence is a cylindrical, spike-like panicle, oblong or somewhat ovate in form, and of a yellowish- 
green colour. At first, the spikelets are quite close together; later, they become somewhat spreading, 
and then the panicled nature of the inflorescence is more apparent (fig. A). The spikelet is one-flowered, 
cylindrical (fig. 12), ovate and acute (fig. 1). Each spikelet has four glwmes arranged in pairs, the 
outer and the inner or barren glumes (fig. 12). The outer glumes cover and conceal the other parts 
of the spikelet; both are acute and almost glabrous ; the lower is about half as long as the upper (fig. 1). 
The inner or barren glumes (figs. 2 and 6) are almost equal, slightly longer than the pales, rounded 
at the apex, and covered with long hair which is stiff, dark in colour, and shining; both barren glumes 
have dorsal awns, the one short, the other three times as long; during flowering (fig. 2) both awns 
are straight, but when in fruit (fig. 6) the long awn becomes bent and twisted, while the other remains 
straight. The pales (fig. 3) are a pair of membranes, shining, glabrous, and obtuse; the lower is some- 
what orbicular, and almost covers the other; the upper (fig. 4) is ovate and shorter. There are only 
two stamens, and this is the only British grass which has only two; the position (fig. 12) is peculiar, one 
is placed opposite the upper pale (fig. 4), the other opposite the lower. The pistil (fig. 4) is com- 
posed of a glabrous ovary, terminated by a pair of long thread-like styles; two rows of short hairs 
spring from the terminal part of each style; these form the long, feathery stigmas (fig. 3). 
During flowering (fig. 1) the apex of the spikelet opens slightly; the stigmas are protruded from 
the apex before the stamens. The behaviour of the anthers is peculiar: — while above the stigmas 
of their own flower, i. e. before the filaments are bent down (figs. 1 and 2), the anthers open and 
discharge part of their pollen upon the pair of stigmas lying immediately beneath them. This arrange- 
ment for securing self-fertilization is rare; cross-fertilization is the rule among grasses, Later on, the 
filaments become bent and the anthers are then lower than the stigmas belonging to the same flower 
(fig. 3). Now the normal process of cross-fertilization goes on: — the remainder of the pollen falls 
upon and fertilizes other flowers which lie beneath the anthers. 
Botanical 
description. 
