FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 63 



are of economic value. Ziiiglher officinale^ of the East Indies, furn- 

 ishes ginger; the roots of several species of Curcuma and Alpima 

 yield well-known drugs; and the seeds of Eldtaria Cardainomum, 

 cardamon. Many species are cultivated as ornamental hot house 

 exotics. 



Family Cannaceae. Canna Family. Contains .a single genus, 

 Carina^ with about 30 species and innumerable garden varieties. The 

 flowers in Canna are very asymmetrical; there is a single fertile 

 stamen, with a petaloid appendage, and what appear to be four showy 

 perianth divisions, being external, narrow and inconspicuous. The 

 Canna is one of our best knoAvn and most popular of garden 

 plants, the wonderful improvements made by M. Crozy and other 

 French horticulturists in the size and coloration of the flower having 

 brought it to the front rank of garden favorites. 



Family Marantaceae. Arrowroot Family. Twelve genera and 

 about 160 species, all tropical and mostly South American. They are 

 distinguished from the related families of this order by the stalked 

 leaves, which have a joint-like swelling just below the blade; by the 

 inconspicuous flowers, and by the four seeded capsule. The structure 

 of the flower is similar to that in Canna., except in the form of the in- 

 ner staminodia. Many species are cultivated for their handsome 

 brightly colored foliage. The rootstock of Maranta arimdlnacea 

 (See Fig. 52) yields arrowroot. 



CHAPTER XL 



Order Microsiyern lae. 



This order, embracing the most highly differentiated types of the 

 Monocotyledons, is characterized by the extreme irregularity of floral 

 structure, and more complex union of parts. The name is derived 

 from the multitude of minute seeds that are produced, only a small 

 portion of which succeed in germinating. 



Family Burmanniaceae. Burmannia Family. These interesting 

 little plants are distributed in about ten genera and 60 species. They 

 are tropical, with the exception of Burmannia and Ajyteina, which 

 reach the southern borders of the Gulf States. The plants are small, 

 delicate herbs, with slender, wiry stems bearing scales in place of 

 leaves and one or more small blue or white flowers at the summit. 

 The perianth is united into a single piece, and its tube is united with 



