AEQUATORIALES—DIVISION 
un 
on 
П AEQUATORIALES. 
With eataphyls or scales constantly present toward the base of the 
branches, exceptionally eymosely dichotomous or forking without a per- 
current main stem. Spikes axillary and, in the eymose forms, terminal. 
Flowers in dioecious or monoecious unisexual spikes or, mostly, with 
staminate and pistillate flowers on the same spike. All are glabrous ex- 
сері for the small group Anomalae. Central in Brazil, extending from 
the Argentine to central Mexico and through the West Indies even to 
the northern Bahamas. 
Cataphyls on the basal joint only of each branch. INTERRUPTAE. 
Cataphyls on alternate joints. PARADOXAE. 
Cataphyls on all joints. CoNTINUAE. 
D. INTERRUPTAE. 
Cataphyls strietly limited to the basal joint of each braneh, the 
branches normally pereurrent so that some joints occur without cata- 
phyls. Throughout the range of the Aequatoriales. 
With foliage leaves. FOLIOSAE. 
Leaves reduced to seales. SQUAMOSAE. 
I. FoLiosAE. 
With foliage leaves. All are glabrous except for the group Anomalae. 
Throughout the range of the Aequatoriales. 
Leaves basinerved. BASINERVIAE. 
Leaves pinnately veined, never very narrow. PENNINERVIAE. 
a. BASINERVIAE. 
Nerves starting from the base of the leaves, rarely joined for a short 
distance above the petiole, never with a pinnately branched midrib al- 
though the middle nerve may be stronger and more raised than the oth- 
ers. 
Glabrous throughout, though sometimes papillate. 
Leaves not elasping. 
Fruit elongated, with erect sepals. LONGIBACCAE. 
Fruit round, ovoid, or ellipsoidal. _ 
Flowers prevailingly 2-ranked on each joint. 
Fruit tubereulate. 
Stem mostly sharply 4-angled. 
Leaves obovate. Of wide range. EMARGINATAE. 
Leaves elliptical or lance-oblong. 
Argentine. ARGENTINAE. 
