MARANTACEAE 361 
Hedychium coronatum Koenig, GINGER-LILY or BUTTERFLY-LILY, native of the 
East Indies, is a tall evergreen herb with large lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate 
leaf-blades, clavate ae ene and large white flowers, the lateral stami- 
nodia petal-like, thus di ffering from Languas, has become naturalized in 
marshes in eastern Ga. and along the Mississippi River below New Orleans, La. 
Faminy 4. MARANTACEAE — Arrowroot FAMILY 
capose or caulescent herbs. Flowers perfect or sometimes polyga- 
a 
mous. Cal tinct or partially united sepals. Corolla of 3 distinct 
or partially united petals. ium partially adnate to the corolla: one 
lament anther-bearing, the others petaloi ary 1-3-eelled. Style 
thick, the stigma 2-lipped. Fruit utricular, 'smooth.—A bout t 12 genera 
and 160 species, mostly tropical. 
Petals partially united : lateral staminodia 2. 1. MARANTA. 
Petals distinct or ne arly so: lateral staminodium 1. 2. THALIA. 
1. MARANTA L. Relatively éd caulescent herbs, not white-powdery. 
ils solitary or few in pan 
of narrow sepals. Coro ae 
ae. Perianth and androecium 
mainly white.—About 15 species, all of 
tropical America 
1. M. arundinacea L. Ste 
tall, from scaly rootstocks: p blades 
lanceolate Mese M 8—25 cm 
lo | 10 : 
white, Shoat 2 em. lon ie Bo sur- 
passing the c orolla: fruit about 1 cm. 
and cult.—(W.I.)—AIl year. — The tu überous rootstocks are the source of true 
arrowroot starch, although this term is often applied also to zamia star 
. THALIA L. iaaa stout scapose herbs, white-powdery, at least 
above. Flowers rather numerous, in panicles. Calyx minute. Corolla-tube 
wanting or obsolete. Bord and androecium mainly purple, blue, or violet.— 
About 7 species, all American.—Spr fall. 
Flowers aie crowded on the rachis: clusters of bracts and bractlets ovoid: utricle 
subglobos i. T. dealbata. 
Flowers separated on the rachis: clusters of bracts and bractlets 
narrowly conie: utricle oval. . T. geniculata. 
dealbata Rose . Plant 1-2 
E “Tea f-blades ae ovate- elliptic, o or 
elliptic- -lanceolate, 2-5 ‘dm . long, acute or 
 (Pown IA.)—Ponds and swamps, 
Coastal Plain, F Fla. to Tex., Mo., and S. C. 
