148 4-- MARANTACEAE 



FAMILY 42. MARANTACEAE 



Herbs or underslirubs. Leaves stalked, with a swelling in the upper part 

 of the stalk, pcnninerved. Inflorescence spicate, capitate, or paniculate. 

 Flowers irregular and asymmetrical, hermaphrodite. Sepals free. Petals 

 united below. Fertile stamen single, i-celled. Staminodes 2 — 4, petal-like. 

 Ovary inferior, i- or 3-celled. Ovules solitary in each cell, inverted. Style 

 simple ; stigma entire or lobed. Seeds with a mealy albumen and a 

 curved embryo. —Genera 12, species 60. Tropics. (Under SCITAMIN EAE.) 

 (Plate 25.) 



1. Ovary i -celled. [Tribe MARANTEAE.] 2 



Ovary 3-cclled, but the ovules of 2 cells sometimes abortive. [Tribe 



PHRYNIEAE.] 3 



2. Corolla-tube verj^ short. .Staminodes 3, one of them with two filiform 



appendages. Fruit indehiscent. Bracts enclosing one pair of flowers 

 each. — Species 7. Central Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Thalia L. 

 Corolla-tube long. Staminodes 4. Fruit dehiscent. Bracts enclosing 

 3 pairs of flowers each. — Species i {M. arundinacea L.) Cultivated 

 and sometimes naturalised in the tropics. The root-stock contains 

 starch (arrow-root) Maranta L. 



3. Staminodes 2. Fruit winged. Inflorescence spike-like, springing from 



the root-stock. Bracts enclosing one pair of flowers each. — 

 Species i. West Africa. The fruits are edible and contain sugar. 



Thaumatococcus Benth. 

 Staminodes 4, rarely 3 4 



4. Bracts ajjpro.ximated in one row, enclosing two pairs of flowers each. Ovary 



with I fertile and 2 sterile cells. — Species i. Madagascar. (Under 



Myrosma Benth. or Phrynium Willd.) Ctenophrynium K. Schum. 



Bracts in two opposite rows 5 



5. Flower-pairs with small, thickened, almost gland-hke scales inserted above 



the bracts and the 2-keeled bracteolcs which usually accompany the 



bracts. 6 



Flower-pairs without gland-like scales above the bracts and bracteoles. 8 



6. Ovary and fruit smooth, the latter fleshy. Leaves having the larger half 



all on the same side. Herbs with a simple stem. Inflorescence panicle-, 

 very rarely spike-like. — Species 13. West Africa. Some have edible 

 fruits. (Under Phrynium Willd. or PhyUodes Lour.) 



Sarcophryniiira K. Sclumi. 

 Ovary and fruit covered with pointed protuberances, the latter dry. Leaves 

 having the larger half some on the right, some on the left side. Under- 

 shrubs or climbing herbs with a branched stem. Inflorescence spike- 

 like 7 



7. Fruit dehiscent, covered with small protuberances. Seeds with an aril. 



Flower-pairs without a bracteole. — Species i. West Africa. (Under 

 Tr achy phrynium Benth.) Hybophryniiim K. Schum. 



