688 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



unexpanded leaves of Carludovica palmata furnish the material 

 employed in the manufacture of Panama hats. 



Natural Order 274. Typhace^. — The Bulrush Order. — 

 Herbs growing in watery places. Leaves rigid, linear, sessile, 

 parallel-veined. Flowers monoecious, arranged on a spadix 

 or in heads, without a spathe. No true perianth, merely 

 scales or hairs. Male flower with 1 — 6, distinct or mona- 

 delphous stamens, with long filaments, and innate anthers. 

 Female flower a solitary 1 -celled ovary, with a single pendulous 

 ovule. Fruit indehiscent. Seed with mealy albumen ; embryo 

 axial, with a cleft on the side ; radicle next the hilum. 



Distribution, 8fc. — A few are found in tropical and warm 

 climates, but they are most abundant in the northern parts of 

 the world. Examples : — Typha, Sparganium. There are 2 

 genera, and 18 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unimportant. The young shoots of 

 Typha lati folia and angustifolia are sometimes boiled, and eaten 

 like Asparagus. Their rhizomes are also edible. Their pollen 

 is inflammable. The pollen of some species of Typha is edible ; 

 thus, that of T. elephantina is made into a kind of bread in 

 Scinde, and that of T. utilis in New Zealand. Some species 

 are said to be astringent and diuretic. 



Natural Order 275. Aeace^. — The Arum Order {figs. 1064 

 — 1067). — Herbs or shrubs, with an acrid juice, and sub- 

 terranean tubers, corms, or rhizomes {fig. 1064). Leaves 

 sheathing {fig. 1064 I ), usually net-veined, simple, or rarely 

 compound. Flowers moncecious, arranged on a spadix {figs. 

 380 and 1065), within a spathe {fig. 380). Perianth none 

 {fig. 1065). Male flower : — Stamens few or numerous ; anthers 

 extrorse {fig. 489), sessile {fig. 489), or upon very short fila- 

 ments. Female flower : — Ovary {fig. 1066), 1-celled, or rarely 

 3 or more celled. Fruit succulent {fig. 1064 c). Seeds pulpy, 

 with mealy or fleshy albumen (fig. 1067), or rarely exalbumi- 

 nous ; embryo axial, slit on one side. 



Distribution, ^c. — They abound in tropical countries, but a few 

 occur in cold and temperate regions. Examples : — Cryptocoryne, 

 Arum, Colocasia, Caladium, Diefffenbachia, Richardia. There 

 are 30 genera, and 170 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of this order are all more 

 or less acrid, and often highly poisonous. This acrid principle 

 is frequently volatile, or decomposed by heat; hence it may be in 

 such cases more or less destroyed by drying or exposing to heat 

 the parts in which it is present. The best method of getting 

 rid of the acridity is, however, by boiUng in water, as the acrid 

 matter is commonly soluble in that fluid. Starch is usually 

 associated with the acrid principle. 



Aristcma atrorubens. Dragon-root, Indian Turnip. — From the tuber of 

 this plant a nutritious fecula is obtained in the United States. The tuber is 



