culmus

1. Culmus means the stalk, with reference to its slender height, especially of corn; calamus (κάλαμος) with reference to its hollowness, especially of reeds. 2. Culmus means the stalk of corn, as bearing the ear, as the body the head, as an integral part of the whole; stipula, as being compared with the ear, a worthless and useless part of the whole, as stubble. 3. Spica is the full ear, the fruit of the corn-stalk, without respect to its shape, arista, the prickly ear, the tip or uppermost part of the stalk, without respect to its substance, sometimes merely the prickles. Quintil. i. 3, 5. Imitatæ spicas herbulæ inanibus aristis ante messem flavescunt. 4. Calamus, as a reed, is the general term; arundo (from ῥοδανός) is a longer and stronger reed; canna (from κανών?) a smaller and thinner reed. Colum. iv. 32. Ea est arundineti senectus, cum ita densatum est, ut gracilis et cannæ similis arundo prodeat. (v. 219.)