SS = Se a ee =F > 
Explanation Fig. A. Entire plant in flower, shewing two spikes, and two partial tufts of grass united by two short 
of plate. 
Botanical 
description. {ufts stand close to one another in the ground and form a compact sward. The lateral branches are 
together by these short stolons. Externally, al the base of each partial tuft, red persistent leaf-sheaths 
SPECIAL PART. 
I. Perennial rye-grass. 
Lolium perenne L. 
stolons. i 
, 41. The spikelet in flower, with a portion of the axis of the spike. The spikelet in the figure is” 
composed of 6 flowers with their pales, and a single glume. The 1* or lowest flower lies to 
the left, the 2.4 to the right, and so on alternately. The 1% and 2"¢ are in full flower with 
the stamens and stigmas protruding; in the 3'¢, the pales have just opened; the others have 
not yet flowered. | 
, 2. The pales before flowering, from the ventral surface, shewing the upper pale. The lower pale 
partially overlaps its margins and is longer. The stalk is a portion of the axis of the spikelet. 
e] 
3. The same, from the dorsal surface, shewing the 5-ribbed lower pale. 
, 4&. The false fruit (seed), dorsal surface, shewing the lower pale. | : 
,, 90. The false fruit, ventral surface, shewing the broad, flat stalk, which tapers to the base. The. 
enlargement of the ovary to form the grain, has pushed out the upper pale, and laid bare its 
ciliated keels (compare fig. 2). ire 
, 6. The caryopsis or grain, ventral surface. 
,, 7. The caryopsis, dorsal surface, shewing the embryo. 
, 9. Diagram of a spikelet composed of 6 flowers as in fig. 1, 5 complete, and 41 rudimentary. — 
, 9. Transverse section of a young leaf-blade, shewing the folded vernation. | F 
,, 10. Transverse section of the fully developed blade, shewing the acute ribs (after Lund). 
,, 441. The short, obtuse ligule of a culm leaf. 
Botanical description. Perennial rye-grass forms large, compound tufts of grass. The partial — 
intravaginal. Here and there internodes beneath the ground elongate, and form short, slender, hori: 
zontal or slightly ascending stolons. The whole tuft is thus composed of numerous partial tufts bound 
are seen. These old sheaths do not decompose and split up into fibres, as is often the case with other 
grasses. The culm is smooth and reaches a height of 4 or 2 ft. The leaf-blade is dark green, folded 
when in bud, ribbed on the upper, but not on the lower surface; the margins are somewhat rough . 
The ligule is very short. The inflorescence is a spike composed of one terminal, and many lateral spi- 
kelets (fig. A). The latter are seated in notches of the axis (fig. 1), and form two rows of alternate 
spikelets. At maturity, the parts of the spikelets fall away, but the axis of the spike persists. The 
spikelet usually consists of 8—10 flowers (only 6 in fig. 1). Each has a single glume, except the er- 
minal spikelet which has two. This glume lies on the outer edge of the spikelet beneath the 2™4 flower. 
It is usually longer than the adjacent pale, half the length of the whole spikelet, and 5—9-ribbed 
(5-ribbed in fig. 8). The lower pale is 5-ribbed, lanceolate, obtuse (rarely acute), and always awnless 
(figs. 1—5; 8). The upper pale has two ciliated keels (figs. 1, 5, 8). The lodicules (fig. 8) are ovate- 
lanceolate, and acute. The ovary is glabrous, and the stigmas (fig. 1) feathery. ” 
