glume

Flowers destitute of proper perianth, except sometimes small scales or bristles, but covered by scale-like bracts or glumes.

The others retained the elongated, narrow, brownish-red ears, the flowering glumes again opening wide for some days.

Go, reaper, Speed and reap, Go take the harvest Of the plough: The wheat is standing Broad and deep, The barley glumes Are golden now.

Fertile glumes generally longer than the empty, unawned or with a straight, terminal awn.

Chaff, small membranous scales or bracts on the receptacle of Composit�; the glumes, &c., of grasses.