]

[Illustration: FIG. 88.--Three spikelets of Nepaul barley.]

[Illustration: FIG. 89.--Lip of outer palea of Nepaul barley.]

[Illustration: FIG. 90.--Supplementary rachillus or outer palea of
Nepaul barley bearing florets.]

[Illustration: FIG. 91.--Diagram showing arrangement of supplementary
rachillus and florets.]

[Illustration: FIG. 92.--Supplementary floret of Nepaul barley; palea
removed.]

This curious plant has been described and figured by Irmisch in the
13th volume of the 'Linnaea,' p. 124, t. iv; also by Professor Henslow,
'Hooker's Journal of Botany,' 1849, vol. i, p. 33, tabs. 2, 3. The lower
palea of this plant forms an inverted flower-bud upon its midrib. In
some fresh specimens which I have lately examined I find the structure
to be as follows:--On each notch of the rachis there are three spikelets
(fig. 88), each one-flowered, and each provided with two linear glumes;
the outer palea in all cases is three-lobed at the summit, the central
lobe being oblong and hollow, forming a kind of hood (figs. 87-89), and
covered with hairs, which are directed downwards towards the centre of
the plant. The two lateral lobes are more pointed than the central one;
like it they are provided with hairs, but the hairs, in this case, are
turned away from the centre of the plant. The cavity of the side lobes
is generally empty, but that of the central lobe is occupied by a very
slender stalk, which is apparently the termination of the midrib, but
which is bent inwards at an acute angle, so as to occupy the hollow
space (figs. 90-91). On this slender axis are developed two florets,
more or less imperfect in their structure. Only one of the florets that
I have seen contained a perfect ovary. The tips of the lateral lobes of
the paleae in the primary flower are sometimes extended into a long awn.
A similar awn may also be occasionally found on the tips of the paleae of
the rudimentary florets. The occurrence of an adventitious axial
structure with rudimentary flowers has been adduced in support of the
opinion that the lower paleae is, at least so far as its midrib is
concerned, an axial rather than a foliar structure, but in the present
uncertain state of our knowledge as to the morphology of grasses it is
hazardous to risk any explanation founded on so exceptional a case as
that of the Nepaul barley.[172]

=Production of flower-buds in place of leaf-buds.=--Under natural
circumstances this does not appear to be of