326 



MONOCOTYLEDOXES. 



with loculicidal dehiscence ; iu others it is more or less berry-like 

 and indehiscent, or irregularly dehiscent. Straight embryo. The 

 aerial stem is seldom developed to any extent, and the inflor- 

 escences, which are (compound) spikes or racemes, often with 

 coloured floral-leaves, spring in some (e.g. Zingiber nfficinale) 

 directly from the rhizome. The leaves are arranged in two rows. 



-The ovary in a few instances (Globba and others) is unilocular, 



with 3 parietal placentae. 



They are perennial herbs with fleshy and tuberous rhizome*, which are used 

 as condiments and in medicine on account of their pungent and aromatic 

 properties and also for starch, dyes, etc. OFFICINAL : rhizomes of Zitigiber 

 officinale (Ginger, unknown wild, but cultivated generally in the Tropics), of 

 Curcuma longa (Turmeric, a dye, E. India) and C. zedoaria, of C. angustifolia 

 and others (as E. India Arrowroot), of Alpinia officinarum, China (galangal). 

 "Preserved Ginger" from Alpinia galanga. Similar aromatic materials (vola- 

 tile oils) are present also, for example, in the fruits ; Cardamom fruits and seeds 

 (from Elettaria cardamomum, China, seldom from E. major). 



315 species ; Tropics, preponderating in the Eastern Hemisphere, India, and 

 especially S. Asia, whence all the aromatic species originate ; they are now 

 commonly cultivated in the Tropics. Some are ornamental plants in green- 

 houses, e.g. Hedychium, Costtis, etc. Globba (with axillary buds in the in- 

 florescence, as in Ficarin), Renealmia, Kdmpferia. 



Order 3. Cannaceae. 



FIG. 316. Flower of Canna : / 

 ovary ; pa calyx ; pi corolla ; I la- 

 bellum ; st stamens ; an anther ; 

 tj stigma ; a and p stamin odes. 



American herbs without aromatic pro- 

 perties. Flowers asymmetric (Fig. 

 316). Calyx polysepalous. The sta- 

 mens are petaloid (Fig. 316 st) and 

 barren with the exception of one (the 

 posterior), which bears on one of its 

 edges a bilocular anther ; another, 

 which is especially large and coloured, 

 is termed the labellum. The style is 

 compressed and leaf-like, with a 

 small stigma at the apex. Ovules 

 numerous in the 3 loculi. The cap- 

 sule is furnished with warts or soft 

 prickles. Embryo straight. 



Canna (30 species ; Trop. Am.). 

 The inflorescence is a terminal spike 

 with 2-flowered unipared scorpioid 

 cymes in the axils of the floral-leaves. 

 Ornamental plants : Canna indica, etc. 



The diagram of the andrcecium of 



