DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRAIN THE FOLLOWING PICTURES SHOW THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE GRAIN. THE GRAIN DEVELOPS FROM THE POLLINATED OVARY IN THE COURSE OF A FEW WEEKS. AS LONG AS THE WOULD-BE ENDOSPERM IS LIQUID, THE GRAINS ARE SAID TO BE IN THE MILKY STAGE OF RIPENING. AS SOON AS THE COLOR OF THE GLUMES CHANGES TO A YELLOWISH OR BROWN HUE AND THE ENDOSPERM BECOME SOLID ( IT MUST BE HARD ENOUGH TO BRAK OVET THE THUMB-NAIL AND NOT ONLY COLLAPSE ), HARVESTING MAY BE STARTED. THIS STAGE IS CALLED YELLOW RIPENESS.

ABOVE YOU CAN STILL SEE THE STAMENS EMERGING WHICH TELLS YOU THAT THESE ARE STILL FLOWERS. THEY ARE VERY FLAT AND OBVIOUSLY CONTAIN NO FRUIT INSIDE.

IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SPIKELETS APPEAR MUCH THICKER AND ARE BEGINNING TO CHANGE COLOR. SOME OF THEM HAVE BECOME COMPLETELY GOLDEN, AND THE ONES WHICH ARE STILL GREEN MAY BE IN THE MILKY STAGE OF RIPENING.

THESE ARE FULLY DEVELOPED GRAINS. AS YOU CAN SEE THEY HAVE BECOME VERY BULKY AND FULL ; READY FOR HARVEST. THIS IS THE YELLOW RIPENESS STAGE.

HERE SOME OF THE GRAINS ARE BEGINNING TO DARKEN BEYOND THE GOLDEN YELLOW COLOR.

AT THIS POINT THE GRAINS HAVE TURNED ALMOST COMPLETELY BLACK . THIS INDICATES THAT THE RIPENING PROCESS WAS ALLOWED TO GO ON FOR TOO LONG AND THEY CAN NO LONGER BE HARVESTED. I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAY THAT THE GRAIN HAS BECOME ROTTEN.

Introduction | Flowers&Fruit | Roots | Stems | Leaves