38 TYPHACEAE 



2. TAXUS L. 



Diffuse shrubs, or trees. Leaves leathery. Staminate aments with mostly 6-8 

 pollen-sacs under each scale. Ovulate aments with 1 ovule each. Seeds nut-like, 

 surrounded by the pulpy aril, except the apex. 



1. Taxus Florid^na Nutt. A tree becoming 6 m. tall, pleasant scented when 

 bruised: leaf -blades narrowly linear, 1-2 cm. long, sharply apiculate: fruit light red, 

 6-10 mm. long, the seed ovoid, 5-7 mm. long. 



On river banks, western Florida. Spring. YEW. 



Class 2. ANGIOSPERMAE. 



Carpel or pistil a closed cavity formed by the uniting of the margins 

 of a rudimentary leaf, or sometimes of several leaves. Within the cavity 

 thus formed the ovules are borne and the seeds are matured. 



Cotyledon 1 : slem endogenous. Subclass 1. MONOCOTYLEDONES. 



Cotyledons typically 2: stem exogenous (with rare exceptions). Subclass 2. DICOTYLEDONES. 



SUBCLASS 1. MONOCOTYLEDONES. 



Stems endogenous, with no distinction into bark, wood and pith, con- 

 sisting of a ground-mass of soft tissue (parenchyma) in which strands or 

 bundles of wood-cells are irregularly distributed. Leaves mostly alter- 

 nate, sheathing at the base : blades usually parallel-nerved, entire or essen- 

 tially so, rarely separating by a manifest articulation. Perianth and 

 essential parts of the flower usually in threes or sixes. Embryo with a 

 single cotyledon, the early leaves always alternate. 



Order 1. PANDANALES. 



Perennial aquatic or marsh herbs, with elongated rootstoeks. Leaves with 

 narrow blades. Flowers in narrow racemes or globular spikes. Perianth of 

 scales or bristles. Androecium of 2-7 stamens. Gynoecium 1- or 2-carpellary. 

 Fruit nut-like. 



Racemes cylindric: perianth of bristles: gynoecium stipitate. Fam. 1. TYPHACEAE. 



Spikes globular: perianth of scales: gynoecium sessile. Fam. 2. SPARGANIACEAE. 



FAMILY 1. TYPHACEAE J. St. Hil. CAT-TAIL FAMILY. 



Raceme spike-like, solitary and terminal, subtended by deciduous bracts, 

 the staminate portion uppermost. Perianth of bristles. Pistil stipitate: stigma 

 narrow, spatulate, oblong or rhomboidal. 



1. TYPHA L. 



Characters of the family. CAT-TAIL. EEED MACE. Summer and fall. 



Racemes with staminate and pistillate portions usually separated; pollen of simple grains: pedicels 

 of the mature pistillate raceme short, rigid, 1 mm. long or less. 1. T. angustifolia. 



Racemes with staminate and pistillate portions usually contiguous: pollen 



grains in 4's: pedicels of the pistillate raceme bristle-like, 2-3 mm. long. 2. T. latifolia. 



1. Typha angustifolia L. Stem slender, 1.5-3 m. tall: leaf -blades 5-15 mm. 

 wide: spikes light brown, the pistillate portion 0.5-2 cm. thick, separated from the 

 staminate: stigmas narrow: nutlets terete. [T. Domingensis Pers.] 



In marshes, Nova Scotia to Florida, California and tropical America. Also in Europe 

 and Asia. 



2. Typha latifolia L. Stem stout, 1-2.5 m. tall: leaf -blades 10-25 mm. wide: 

 spikes dark brown or black, the pistillate portion 2.5-3.5 cm. thick, contiguous to the 

 staminate: stigmas spatulate or rhomboidal: nutlets furrowed. 



In marshes, nearly throughout North America. Also in Europe and Asia. 



FAMILY 2. SPARGANIACEAE Agardh. BUB-REED FAMILY. 



Spikes globular, borne in racemes or panicles, or spicate, their bracts per- 

 sistent. Perianth of scales. Pistil sessile: stigma subulate, lanceolate, oblong 

 or linear. 



