264 



verged at an acute angle. Inflorescence either a dense spike, or a raceme, or a sort of panicle, 

 terminal or radical. Flowers arising- from among- spathaceous membraneous bractere, in 

 which they usually lie in pairs. 



Affinities. Formerly Scitamineae and Marantaceae were united in one 

 tribe called Cannese, and this is even still followed by some botanists : hence it 

 is certain that they are at least more nearly related to each other than to any 

 thing else, and that whatever is the affinity of the one will be that of the other. 

 Taking the vegetation into account, these two tribes are exceedingly nearly 

 allied to Musacese, in which is found the same kind of leaf, the veins of which 

 are closely set, and diverge from the midrib to the margin, being connected by 

 very weak and imperfect intermediate veins ; the leaves have also the same 

 distinct petiole, often with a thickened rounded space at the apex ; Musacese 

 are, however, pent- or hexandrous, with a calyx and corolla of the same tex- 

 ture. Irideae are the next order with which Scitamineae may be compared, 

 agreeing in their superior flowers, which have sometimes an approach to the 

 Liregularity of Alpinia and the like, and also in the triple number of their sta- 

 mens : but while these organs are all developed in Irideee, two are abortive or 

 deformed in both Scitaminese and Marantaceae. Bromeliaceee have been iden- 

 tified with them of old, but their resemblance consists chiefly in the distinction 

 of calyx and corolla, and their inferior ovarium. To Orchideae they are related 

 in consequence of the reduction of their three stamens to one by the abortion of 

 two ; but the cohesion of the stamens and style in the latter, and the want of 

 any distinction betweeen calyx and corolla, sufficiently separate them, besides 

 which the series which produces the stamens in Orchidea? answers to the 

 sterile stamens or inner limb of the corolla in Seitaminea:. For the differences 

 between Scitaminea? and Marantaceae, see the latter. There is a fine volume 

 consecrated to plants of these two tribes by Mr. Roscoe, who first remodelled 

 the genera and reduced them within certain limits. Between the embryo and 

 the albumen is interposed a fleshy body enveloping the former : this has been 

 called a process of the rostellum by Correa, a cotyledon by Smith, a vitellus by 

 Gaertner and Brown, a central indurated portion of the albumen by Richard. It 

 is now known to be the innermost integument of the ovulum, unabsorbed 

 during the advance of this body to maturity. 



Independently of the presence of this vitellus, the most remarkable part of 

 the structure of Scitaminea? consists in the number of divisions of the floral en- 

 velopes, which consists of a tubular calyx, and of two more series instead of 

 one. Mr. Brown, struck with this unusual deviation from the ordinary organi- 

 zation of Monocotyledons, was disposed to consider the calyx an accessory 

 part (Prodr. 305) ; but M. Lestiboudois' explanation appears more satisfacto- 

 ry. According to this botanist (as quoted in Ach. Richard's JYoav. EUm. 439), 

 Scitaminea? are really hexandrous, like the nearly related Muactceee ; but of 

 their stamens the outer series is petaloid, and forms the inner limb of the corol- 

 la, and of the inner series of stamens the central one only developes, the lateral 

 ones appearing in the form of rudimentary scales. This notion of M. Lestibou- 

 dois is confirmed by Marantaceae, in which the inner stamens (even that which 

 is antheriferous) become petaloid like the outer ; thus showing that in these 

 plants there is a strong and general tendency in the filaments to assume the 

 state of petals. 



Geography. All tropical, or nearly so. By far the greater number inhabit 

 various parts of the East Indies ; some are found in Africa, and a few in Ame- 

 rica. They form a part of the singular Flora of Japan. 



Properties. Generally objects of great beauty, either qn account of the 

 high degree of developement of the floral envelopes, as in Hedychium corona- 

 rium and Alpinia nutans ; or because of the rich and glowing colours of the 

 bracteae, as in Curcuma Roscoeana- ( Wallich Plant. As. Rar. vol. 1. tab. 9.) 



