276 



JIONOCOTYLEDOXES. 



(Figs. 300, 309). Connecting the large number of veins which 

 run longitudinally, there are as a rule only weak tranverse ones. 

 It is very rarely that other forms of leaves are found, such as cor- 

 date (Figs. 302, 312), or that the blade is branched, or the vena- 

 tion is, for example, pinnate or palmate (Figs. 225, 298) ; these 

 deviations are especially found in the Aracese, the Palms, the 

 Scitaminefe (Fig. 308), the Dioscoreacese, and in several aquatic 

 plants. The incisions in the Palm-leaf are derived by the split- 

 ting of an originally entire leaf. 



THE FTRDCTURE OF THE FLOWER is generally as follows : Pr3 + 3, 

 A3 + 3, G3, rarely S3 + P3 with the other members unchanged. 1 

 Instead of 3, the numbers 2 and 4 may occur; rarely others. In 

 all these instances there are 5 whorls, which regularly alternate 

 with one another, most frequently in the 3-merous flower, as in the 

 diagram (Fig. 278). This diagram is found in the following 



278. 279. 280. 



FIR. 278. Diagram of the ordinary, regular flower in the Monocotyledons : s is the 

 bract. 



FIG. 279. Diagram of Iris : /the bracteole ; in its axil is a shoot with its bracteole. 

 FIG. 280. Diagram of Orchis : I the lip ; <r a- the two staminodes. 



orders : Liliaceas, Convallariacere, Juncacefe, Bromeliacete, Ama- 

 ryllidacese, Dioscoreacese, Palmte, some Aracea?, and in some small 

 orders, and may be considered as the typical structure and also 

 the starting point for the exceptional orders. The ovary in many 

 Monocotyledons has many ovules, and the fruit becomes a many- 

 seeded berry or capsule ; this form is no doubt the oldest. In 

 others the number of seeds becomes reduced to 1, and the fruit 

 then becomes a cypsela, or a drupe (e.g. Graminece, Cyperacea;, 

 Palmce, etc). 



Deviations from this typical floral structure in some instances 



1 Eegarding these and other abbreviations see the appendix in the book. 



