Properties. The seeds of Pandanus are eatable. The flowers of Pan- 

 danus odoratissimus are fragrant and eatable. The fruit of several is also an 

 article of food. The leaves are used for thatching and cordage. The imma- 

 ture fruit is reputed einmenagogue. Buttons are turned from the hard albu- 

 men of Phytelephas, or the Tagua plant. Humb. 1. c. 



Examples. Pandanus, Freycinetia. 



CCLV. TYPHACEiE. The Bulrush Tribe. 



Tvphs, Juss. Gen. 25. (1789).— Aroideje, § 3. R. Brown Prodr. 338. (1610).— Ttphjk*, 

 Agardh Aph. 139. (1823).— Typhace«, Dec. and Duby, 482. (1828) ; Lindl. Synops. 247. 

 (1829).— TyphoidejE and Spaug ah iojdem, LinkHandb. 1. 132. 133.(1829), both sections of 

 Cyperaceae. 



Diagnosis. Spadiceous triandrous monocotyledons, with 3 half-glumaceous 

 sepals, clavate anthers, long lax filaments a solitary pendulous ovulum : and 

 dry fruit. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Flowers diclinous, arranged upon a naked spadix. Sepals 3, or 

 more. Petals wanting-. Stamens 3 or 6, anthers wedge-shaped, attached by their base to long 

 filaments. Ovary single, superior, 1-celled ; ovulum solitary, pendulous ; style short ; stigmas 

 1 or 2, simple, linear. Fruit dry, net opening, 1-celled, 1-seeded. Embryo in the centre of al- 

 bumen, straight, taper, with a cleft in one side, in which the plumula lies ; radicle next the hi- 

 lum. — Herbaceous plants, growing in marshes or ditches. Stems without nodi. Leaves rigid, 

 ensiform, with parallel veins. Spadix without a spathe. 



Affinities. Jussieu, following Adanson, distinguishes these from Aroidea?, 

 with which Mr. Brown re-unites them, retaining them, however, in a separate 

 section. They are generally regarded as a distinct tribe by most writers, and 

 are surely sufficiently characterized by their 3-sepaled half-glumaceous calyx, 

 long lax filaments, clavate anthers, solitary pendulous ovules, and peculiar ha- 

 bit. They are connected with Aroide* by Acorus, which belongs to the lat- 

 ter. Agardh refers Typhaceas to glumaceous Monocotyledons, on account of 

 the analogy between the calyx of Typha and the hypogynous hairs of Erio- 

 phorum, a genus of Cyperaceae. They are combined with Pandaneae by M. 

 Kunth, but appear to be sufficiently distinguished by the slit in the side of their 

 embryo, their simple fruit, pendulous ovulum, trisepalous calyx, and habit. 



Geography:. Found commonly in the ditches and marshes of the northern 

 parts of the world, but uncommon in tropical countries ; a species is found in 

 St. Domingo, and another in New Holland. Two are described from equinoc- 

 tial America. 



Properties. Of little known vise. The powdered flowers have been used 

 as an application to ulcers. The pollen- of Typha is inflammable, like that of 

 Lycopodium, and is used as a substitute for it. M. Decancolle remarks that it 

 is probable the facility of collecting this pollen is the real cause of its use, and 

 that any other kind would do as well. 



Examples. Typha, Sparganium. 



