NUDIFLOR^ 363 



is eaten as a sweetmeat, after being candied, on the 

 Continent. Tooth powders are made from it. 

 Stockton Bitter is a medicine made from Gentian 

 and this plant. 



The aromatic leaves were formerly strewn on the 

 floors of churches. At festivals in Norwich Cathedral 

 it was employed in the same way. Possibly it may 

 be the sweet cane mentioned in the Bible. 



AcoRUS CALAMUS. — Fig. 100 shows a leafhent oveVy 

 showing the suhcentral mid-rib, and the lateral stalkless 

 spadix, 



85. The Duckweed Group. 



This is a small Order (Lemnaceae) which consists 

 of about eighteen species and three genera. They are 

 related to the Water Plantain group and the Cuckoo 

 Pint group. They are of universal range, found in 

 standing water in all parts of the world. 



They are floating, perennial herbaceous plants, 

 green, and scale-like, with fronds, and no leaves, or 

 no distinction between stem and leaf. They either 

 have no roots or very slender simple roots, tipped by 

 a membranous sheath. They are propagated by 

 buds, as they rarely flower. All are aquatic. In the 

 Autumn they put forth hibernating bulbils. There is 

 no vascular tissue, or of a very low type. 



They are moncecious plants. The flowers are 

 extremely small and unisexual. There are one to 

 three in a spathe, or they may be naked. There is no 

 spadix. There is no perianth. The male flowers 



