BOTANY. 83 



Plants of this order arc highly important. The Banana fruit, which con- 

 stitutes tlie chief food of certain inhabitants of tropical climates, is obtained 

 from Musa sapientum and M. cavcndishii. M. paradisaica furnishes the plan- 

 tain ; M. textilis yields a fine textile fibre. 



PI. 58, 59, fig. 5, Musa paradisaica ; a-e, various parts of the plant ; /, 

 cross-section of the ovary ; g, ripe fruit ; /t, cross-section of ditto. 



Order 33. Marantace^, the Arrow-root Family. Perianth superior, 

 in two whorls ; outer (calyx) three-lobed, short ; inner (corolla.^ tubular, 

 elongated, three-parted, segments nearly equal. Stamens in two whorls ; 

 outer sterile, petaloid, irregular, resembling a tubular trifid corolla, with one 

 of the lateral segments different from the others ; inner petaloid, two sterile, 

 and one lateral fertile ; filament of the latter petaloid, entire or two-lobed ; 

 anther on the margin of the filament, one-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. 

 Ovary three-celled, rarely one-celled ; ovules solitary and erect, or numerous 

 and attached to the axis, style petaloid or swollen ; stigma cither the naked 

 apex of the style, or hollow, hooded, and incurved. Fruit a three-celled 

 capsule, or baccate, one-celled and one-seeded. Seeds round, without 

 arillus ; embryo straight, in hard, somewhat floury albumen, without a 

 vitellus ; radicle lying against the hilum. Herbaceous plants, with tuberous 

 rhizomes, and leaves and flowers similar to those of the Ginger family. 

 They are natives of tropical regions. There are six genera, including 160 

 species. Examples : Maranta, Canna, Phrynium. 



The West Indian arroAv-root is obtained from the tuberous roots of 

 Maranta arundinacea. The seeds of Canna indica are known as Indian 

 shot. 



Order 34. Ztngiberace.« or Scitamine.e, the Ginger Family. Perianth 

 superior, in two whorls ; outer (calyx) tubular, three-lobed, short ; inner 

 (corolla) tubular, elongated, three-parted, segments nearly equal. Stamens 

 in two Avhorls ; outer sterile, petaloid, having the appearance of a three- 

 parted corolline whorl, Avith the intermediate segment (labellum) larger than 

 the rest, and often three-lobed, sometimes the lateral segments are incon- 

 spicuous or nearly abortive ; inner stamens three, the tAvo lateral being 

 abortive, the intermediate one opposite the labellum, fertile ; filament not 

 petaloid, often prolonged beyond the anther ; anther two-celled, dehiscing 

 lono-itudinally. Ovary three-celled, or imperfectly so ; ovules several, anatro^ 

 pal, attached to a placenta in the axis : style filiform ; stigma dilated, hollow. 

 Fruit usually a three-celled capsule, sometimes baccate. Seeds roundish or 

 anf'ular, sometimes Avith an arillus ; embryo inclosed in a vitellus (the re- 

 mains of the embryo-sac), surrounded by farinaceous albumen, which is de- 

 ficient near tlie hilum. Herbs, with a creeping rhizome, and simple sheathing 

 leaves, having parallel veins proceeding from the midrib to the margin. The 

 floAvers arise from membranous spathaccous bracts. Natives of tropical coun- 

 tries. Twenty-nine genera and 247 species. Examples : Zingiber, Curcuma, 

 xVmomum, Hedychium, Renealmia. 



The ginger of commerce is derived from the rliizomes of Zingiber 

 officinale groAving in the East and West Indies. Preserved ginger consists 

 of the younger rhizomata. Curcuma longa and zedoaria furnish turmeric, a 



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