530 BOTANY I'AKT n 



occurs in tropical Asia. The Sugar-cane is cultivated in all tropical countries, 

 and cane-sugar is obtained from the sap expressed from the solid stem. 



Among the most important of our meadow - grasses may be mentioned 

 Agrostis alba, Alopecurus pratensis, Ant/iii.'-in/f/n/iti odoratum, Arrhenatherum 

 elatius, Arena flavescens, A. pubescens, Briza media, Dactylis glomerata, Holcus 

 lanatus, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, and species of Aira, 

 Bromus, Calamayrostis, Festuca, Melica, etc. The tropical species of Bambusa, ' 

 which grow to the height of trees, are utilised in many ways ; from the stems are 

 constructed houses, walls, flooring, ladders, bridges, cordage, water - vessels, 

 cooking utensils, water-pipes, etc., and the plant is indispensable in the countries 

 in which it occurs. 



POISONOUS. Lolium temuletttum (Fig. 527) and L. mn,l\iin have poisonous 

 fruits in relation to which fungal hyphse occur ; these plants are both annuals and 

 can be distinguished by the absence of sterile shoots from the common Lolium 

 perenne and L. multiflorum. 



OFFICIAL. AMYLUM (starch) is obtained from Triticum sativum, Oryza saliva, 

 etc. ; SaccJiarum officinarum provides SACCHAurM. 



Order 3. Spadieiflorae 



The common character of this order is afforded by the peculiar 

 inflorescence ; this is a spike with a thick, swollen, often fleshy axis 

 and is termed a spadix. The flowers are mostly diclinous, 

 monoscious or more rarely dioacious. 



Family 1. Typhaceae. Marsh plants, with long, linear leaves and long- 

 stalked spikes, which bear a large number of flowers, the male above, the female 

 lower down. Perianth wanting. 



Family 2. Sparganiaceae. Connected with the preceding family. Spikes 

 spherical. Flowers with a perigone, but otherwise like the Typhaceae. 



Family 3. Pandanaceae. Trees of peculiar appearance, supported by prop- 

 roots, or climbing, shrubby plants ; all belong to the tropical countries around the 

 Indian Ocean and to the Pacific islands. Leaves elongated, .spiny, channelled 

 above, arranged without bare internodes in three ranks on the axis. Inflorescences, 

 <Jor?, are terminal spikes in the axils of sheathing bracts. Flowers without 

 perianth, Pandanus (cf. Fig. 531 in front of the Palms), Frcycinetia. 



Family 4. Palmae. The Palms are an exclusively tropical and 

 sub-tropical family, the members of which mostly attain the size of 

 trees. Their slender stem is simple and usually of uniform diameter 

 throughout ; only the African species of Hyphaene have branched 

 stems. Other forms show evident growth in thickness towards the 

 base ; this either depends on enlargement of the elements already 

 present, or resembles the growth in thickness of arborescent Liliaceae. 

 The leaves, which are often of gigantic size, form a terminal crown. 

 They are either pinnately or palmately divided, the division coming 

 about by the death of definite portions of tissue in the young leaf in 



