136. C YCLA NTH ACE .3?. 



truncate or 4-lobed at the apex, 1-loculai-. Style or pyramidal, 

 stigma solitary or 4. Ovules many anatropous, on parietal placentae 

 or pendulous from the apex of the cells. Fruits forming a fleshy 

 syncarp with berries distinct or confluent containing many small 

 albuminous seeds on fleshy swollen i>lacent8e. Embryo minute axile 

 straight or curved, sub-basal. 



1. CARLUDOVICA, Ruiz d- Pav. 

 1. C. palmata, R. db P. 



A small palm-like plant with ver^^ short stem but the leaves on long erect 

 petioles attaining- i-6 ft. in height, blade mostly 4-partite with each segment cut 

 into linear acute lobes. Spaclix 1-2 ft. in height crowded with flowers, 4 males 

 stipitate round each female which is immersed in the sj^athe. Male perianth 

 many-toothed . Female with filamentous staminodes which give a curious fibrillose 

 appearance to the spadix, stigmas 4-sessile radiating, finally swollen. Ovules very 

 many on 4 placenta?. 



Often cultivated in grass green-houses and usually mistaken for a palm. Native 

 of South and Central Anaerica. 



FAM. 137. PALMACEJE. 



Trees or shrubs, usually with a terminal unbranched crown of 

 large leaves, sometimes widely scandent, without aerial roots. Leaves 

 alternate sometimes distichous, plaited, first ones simple, mature 

 palmate or pinnately divided, rarely simple ; petiole sheathing. 

 Flowers mostly small in simple or copiously branched inflorescences 

 (spadices) sheathed at the base and often at the base of the branches 

 by spathes, sessile or sunk in the surface of the rhachis, monoecious or 

 dioecious, the males and females nearly always differing in form. 

 Inflorescence rarely terminal and ending the life of the tree (mono- 

 carpic). Perianth usually dry or coriaceous, in 2-3-merous whorls, 

 usually free, imbricate or valvate. Stamens 3 or 6 rarely more, 

 anthers versatile, rarely basifixed. Ovary superior, ajDocarpous, of 

 3 1 -celled carpels, or syncarpous and 1-3-celled, stigmas usually 

 sessile. Ovules 1-2 in each carpel, large, sessile, or with short thick 

 funicle or adnate to the cell wall, anatropous. Fruit various, apocarpic 

 or syncarpic, indehiscent. Seeds erect or laterally attached, raphe 

 usually branching all over the testa ; albumen horny or bony, some- 

 times ruminate. Embryo small, in a small cavity near the surface 

 of the albumen. 



I. Leaves in a tevuiinal crown, stem never climbing. Fruit not 

 scaly (1-9) :— 

 A. Leaves pinnately divided : — 



1. L. 2-pinnate. Stamens many. Ovary 3-celled . , 1. Cari/ofa. 



2. L. 1-pinnate or -pinnatisect. St. 3-9 : — 



a. Ovary syncarpous, stigmas 3. Spadices andro- 

 gynous: — 

 Spadices inf rafoliar. Ovary 1-celled . . . .2. Areca. 

 Spadices interfoliar. Ovary 3-celled . . . .3. Coco*, 

 h. Ovary of 3 free carpels : — 



Flowers dioecious. Lowest leaflets often thorns. 



Fruit of drupes. Terrestrial i. Phoevi.v. 



Spadices androgynous. Fem. in a terminal head. 

 Fruits in a large syncarp. ^stuarial, stemless . 5, Nqni. 



878 



