The Glumes are always present in our grasses, and rudimentary only in the rare grass Leersia; but Lolium and Nardus have only one glume to the spikelet, and Hierochloe, Digraphis and Anthoxanthum (Fig.
The lowermost glume of each spikelet is often alone developed or conspicuous, and looks like a bract in the axis of which the spikelet sits.
These are called the glumes--the inner and outer glume respectively--and they enclose the rest of the spikelet.
P Palea the inner glume in the spikelet of grasses, 4.
First glume of sessile spikelets with nodulose margins.
Margins of the first glume of the sessile spikelet not inflexed.
Spikes 5-9, spikelets broadly cuneate 3 to 5-awned, glume III bearded all through the margin and dorsally.
The second glume is chartaceous, distinctly awned, the awn being as long as the glume or longer, hispid above and at the sides also.
The third glumecontains no flower in it, but occasionally there may be in its axil three stamens.
The inner pedicelled spikelets are similar to the involucral spikelets, but the third glume is very narrow, linear.
The third glume is hyaline, empty, nerveless and without a palea.
The first glume is a little shorter than the second and about two-third the length of the third glume and 1-nerved.
Spikes solitary or binate; spikelets 1- to 2-flowered, diandrous; first glume broad and truncate 22.
Hairs on the margins and keels of glume III clavellate and pointed at the apex.
Its spikelets are arranged singly and alternately along the central axis, and the upper glume reaches to the base of the fourth floret.
In the former the spikes number two or three, and are longer than the leaves; and the outer glume is hairy, with a single nerve.
The latter, which is the rarer of the two, bears several spikes, shorter than the leaves; and the outerglume has five nerves.
The flowering glume is divided at the tip, and provided with a long, bent, twisted bristle.
In the closely allied genus Digitaria, which is sometimes regarded as a section of Panicum, the lowest barren glume is reduced to a point; D.
The axis is often continued beyond the last flower or glume as a bristle or stalk.
The function of the lodicules is the separation of the pale and glume to allow the protrusion of stamens and stigmas; they effect this by swelling and thus exerting pressure on the base of these two structures.
Fertile glume and pale hyaline; empty glumes thick, membranous to coriaceous or cartilaginous, the lowest the largest.
The awn which is frequently borne on the flowering glume is also a very efficient means of distribution, catching into fur of animals or plumage of birds, or as often in Stipa (fig.
Aristida and Stipa are large and widely distributed genera, occurring especially on open plains and steppes; the conspicuously awned persistent flowering glume forms an efficient means of dispersing the grain.
Thus in Stipa, species of Avena, Heteropogon and others the base of the glume forms a sharp point which will easily penetrate the ground; above the point are short stiff upwardly pointing hairs which oppose its withdrawal.
Where, as in Anthoxanthum, there are no lodicules, pale and glume do not become laterally separated, and the stamens and stigmas protrude only at the apex of the floret (fig.
One-flowered spikelets may fall as a whole (as in the tribes Paniceae and Andropogoneae), or the axis is jointed above the barren glumes so that only the flowering glume and pale fall with the fruit.
The flowering glume has generally a more or less boat-shaped form, is of firm consistence, and possesses a well-marked central midrib and frequently several lateral ones.
In many-flowered spikelets the rachilla is often jointed and breaks into as many pieces as there are fruits, each piece bearing a glume and pale.
Culms often creeping at base; leaves ciliate at base; spikes 4--5; lower glume awned and the flowering one pointed.
Callus pungently pointed, at maturity villous-bearded; flowering glume slender and minutely bearded at the tip; empty glumes taper-pointed.
Florets swollen a little above the middle, the floral glume rounded on the back, obscurely 7-nerved, 6-7 mm.
Freed from chaff the floral glume is firm, rough, brown, thinly hairy, about 15 mm.
Achene surrounded by two persistent shining pieces, the floret; floral glume hard, light brown, oval or ovate-lanceolate 2.
The grain is that solid interior part of the spike, the glume is its hull and the beard those long thin needles which grow out of the glume.
The beard and the grain are well known to almost every one, but the glume to very few: indeed I know only one book in which it is mentioned, the translation which Ennius made of the verses of Evhemerus.
Thus as the glume is the pontifical robe of the grain, the beard is its apex.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "glume" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word. Other words: blade; bract; flag; frond; leaf; leaflet; needle; petal; pile; spear; spire
