284 



although placed by him at the end of Restiacese, is certainly very different 

 from the other genera, in the inner segments of the perianthium being 

 petaloid, with the stamens proceeding from the top of their ungues, and in 

 their numerous seeds. 



Geography. All, with the exception of Eriocaulon, extra European; 

 chiefly found in the woods and marshes of South America^ and in New Hol- 

 land and southern Africa. 



Properties. None, except that the tough wiry stems of some species 

 are manufactured into baskets and brooms. Willdenowia teres is employed 

 for the latter purpose, and Restio tectorum for thatching. 



Examples. Centrolepis, Restio, Thamnochortus, Tonina, Eriocaulon. 



CCLIV. PANDANE^. The Screwpine Tribe. 



Pandane^e, R. Broivn Prodr. 340. (1810); Decand. Propr. Mtd. 278. (1816); Agardh 

 Aph. 133. (1822) ; Gaudichaud in Ann. des Sc. 3. 509. (1824) — ?Cyclanthe.i-, 

 Poiteau in Mem. Mus. 9. 34. (1822.) 



Diagnosis. Spadiceous monocotyledons, with naked flowers, and fibrous 

 drupes collected in parcels into many-celled pericarpia. 



Anomalies. Phytelephas has pinnate leaves; but it is a doubtful plant 

 of the order. 



Essential Character Floivers dioecious or polygamous, arranged on a wholly- 

 covered spadix. Perianthium wanting. Males : Filaments with single anthers ; anthers 

 2-celled. Females: Ovaria usually collected in parcels, 1 -celled ; stigmas as many as 

 the ovaries, sessile, adnate (ovula solitary, erect). Fruit either fibrous drupes, usually 

 collected in parcels, each 1-seeded; or many-celled berries, with polyspermous cells. Al- 

 humen fleshy ; embryo in its axis, erect; jr)/?<»«;</a inconspicuous. — Stem arborescent, usually 

 sending down aerial roots, sometimes weak and decumbent. Leaves imbricated, in three 

 rows, long, linear-lanceolate, amplexicaul, with their margins almost always spiny. Floral 

 leaves smaller, often coloured. R. Br. 



Affinities. This is a tribe of plants having the aspect of gigantic 

 Bromelias, bearing the flowers of a Sparganium ; while there is no analogy 

 with the former in structure beyond the general appearance of the foliage ; 

 the organisation of the fructification bears so near a resemblance to the latter 

 as to have led to the combination of Pandaneas and Typhaceai by botanists 

 of the first authority. But when we contrast the naked flowers, the com- 

 pound highly-developed fruit, the spathaccous bracteas, the entire embryo, 

 and the arborescent habit of the former, with the half-glumaceous flowers, 

 the simple fruit, the want of spathaceous bractea>, the slit embryo, and the 

 herbaceous sedgy habit of the hitter, it is difticult to withhold our assent 

 from the proposition to separate them. Mr. Brown justly remarks {Prodr. 

 341.), that these have no aflinity with Palms beyond their arborescent stems. 

 Freycinetia, the genus to which the character of polyspermous cells, minute 

 seeds, and a pulpy pericarpium belongs, is described by M. Gaudichaud as 

 having a very minute cnil)ryo lodged in the upper part of scmitransparent 

 albumen. It is possible that this is the station of the remarkable plants 

 described by Poiteau as having an inflorescence which may be compared to 

 two folded ribands rolled spirally round a cylinder! one full of stamens, the 

 other full of ovules ! ! and called Cyclanthctc. M. Poitean has unfortunately 

 omitted to give a suflficient explanation of the analogy between the struc- 

 ture of these plants and more regular forms of inflorescence, and his figures 

 do not afford such information as could be wished for; but it may be con- 

 jectured that his ribands are connate bractea^, subtending, alternately, naked 



