CYCADACEAE. 413 



buds, the large pinnate leaves in a terminal crown. Flowers in terminal 

 cones, or on modified leaves. Scales of the staminate cones bearing several 

 anther-sacs. Ovule-bearing scales or leaves with two or more naked ovules. 

 Seeds drupe-like or nut-like. Only the following family. 



Family 1. CYCADACEAE Lindl. 



CYCAD FAMILY. 

 Nine genera and about 90 species, of tropical distribution. 



Cycas revoluta Thunb., SAGO PALM, of tropical Asia, widely planted for 

 ornament, and very luxuriant, has a eylindric rough trunk up to 7 high, nearly 

 1 thick, topped by a crown of dark green stiff shining pinnate leaves 3-6 

 long, short-petioled, with very numerous, nearly linear leaflets; the flowers are 

 in large yellowish clusters, which alternate with a crown of leaves; rarely a 

 few leaves are borne with the flower-cluster, unfolding at the same time. The 

 leaves are gathered and exported for funeral and other decorations. 



Zaxnia floridana DC., COONTIE, Floridian, observed growing at Bellevue in 

 1913, has a vertical stem several inches long, nearly completely buried in the 

 ground, the several pinnate leaves arising in a tuft from its summit, with 28-40 

 linear leaflets S^'-G' long and about 3" wide; its fruit is an oblong, short- 

 stalked cone of peltate scales; its staminate cones are narrowly oblong; only 

 pistillate plants were seen at Bellevue. 



Dioon edule Lindl., CYCAS-LIKE DIOON, Mexican, of which a fine specimen 

 existed at Sunny Lands in 1914, has leaves up to 6 long, similar to those of 

 Cycas revoluta, with very many lanceolate rigid entire sharp-tipped segments 

 3'-4' long and about 4" wide ; its flowers are borne in a terminal cone, that of 

 staminate flowers eylindric, of pistillate ones ovoid, sometimes 12' long. 



Dioon spinulosum Dyer, SPINULOSE-LEAVED DIOON, also Mexican, growing 

 with the preceding at Sunny Lands, has leaves as large or larger, their spinulose- 

 toothed segments 5 '-6' long and 8"-10" broad. 



Order 3. GINKGOALES. 



Trees, with broad deciduous leaves and dioecious flowers in the axils 

 of scales. Staminate flowers in catkin-like clusters, the anthers spirally 

 arranged. Pistillate flowers with a solitary ovule which ripens into a 

 fleshy drupe. The order consists of a single species. 



Ginkgo biloba L., MAIDENHAIR-TREE, GIXKGO, Chinese, two small trees of 

 which were seen at Bellevue in 1914, is one of the most peculiar and interesting 

 gymnospermous plants, having clustered slender-petioled finely parallel-veined, 

 broadly wedge-shaped, 2-lobed and variously toothed leaves 2'-3" broad and 

 somewhat broader than long ; the flowers are mostly dioecious, the staminate in 

 catkins, the pistillate 2 together, one of the latter ripening into a drupe about 

 1' long, its flesh unpleasantly odorous. 



Phylum 2. PTERIDOPHYTA. 



FERNS AND FERN-ALLIES. 



Plants containing woody and vascular tissues, producing spores 

 asexually, which, on germination, develop small flat mostly green 



