269 



SCITAMINEiE. 

 P 



MARANTACEiE. 

 p 



Agardh describes the albumen of Canna as a fungous elastic substance, 

 formed of densely compact hyaline granules, white internally, gradually pass- 

 ing through yellow and brown into black, and more analogous to an internal 

 membrane than to albumen, because it undergoes little change during germi- 

 Hation. But the albumen is better understood now than in 1823. See In- 

 troduction, and Outline of the First Principles of Botany , par. 494, &c. 



Geography. The greater part are found in tropical America and Africa; 

 several are natives of India ; some are known in a wild state beyond the tropics. 



Properties. While the ginger tribe (Scitamineee) are valued for their 

 aromatic heating principle, the arrow-root tribe (Marantacesc) is esteemed 

 on account of the fgecula, which abounds in the rhizoma and root of both 

 tribes, being destitute of that principle : on this account it -is collected 

 as a delicate article of fobd, both from Maranta arundinacea, Allouyia, and 

 nobilis in the West Indies, and also from Maranta ramosissima in the East. 

 The fleshy cormus of some Cannas is reported to be eaten in Peru. A tough 

 fibre is obtained from Phrynium dichotomum ; and the leaves of the South 

 American Calatheas are worked into baskets, whence their name. The juice 

 • of Maranta arundinacea is said to be efficacious in poisoned wounds. Agdh. 



Examples. Canna, Maranta, Calathea, Phrynium. 



CCXLIII. MUSACE^. The Banana Tribe. 



Mus^, Juss. Gen. (1789). — Musace^, Agardh Aph. 180. (1823) ; Ach. Rich. 

 Nouv. Elcm. ed. 4. 436. ( 1828.) 



Diagnosis. Hexapetaloideous sub-hexandrous spathaceous monocoty- 



