MAEANTACEAE 307 



2. Musa Cavendishii Lamb. Plants mostly 1-2.5 m. tall: leaf -blades broadly 

 oblong, mostly about 1 m. long: calyx 3-3.5 cm. long, the apical appendages minute: 

 tip of the free petal nearly erect: berries mostly 10-15 cm. long, yellowish, the pulp 

 sweet. 



In hammocks, southern peninsular Florida and the Keys. Naturalized from China. 

 DWAKF BANANA. 



FAMILY 2. CANNACEAE Link. CANNA FAMILY. 



Caulescent herbs. Flowers perfect. Calyx of 3 erect sepals. Corolla of 

 3 partially united petals. Androecium more or less adnate to the corolla: one 

 filament anther-bearing, the others petaloid. Ovary 3-celled, the placentae 

 parietal. Style petaloid, the stigma marginal. Fruit capsular, loculicidal, with 

 a papillose or bristly coat. 



1. CANNA L. 



Characters of the family. INDIAN-SHOT. 



Sepals 1-1.5 cm. long: perianth-tube shorter than the sepals: lip linear-spatulate. 1. C. Indica. 



Sepals 2.5-3 cm. long: perianth-tube much longer than the sepals: lip much dilated. 2. C. flaccida. 



1. Canna Indica L. Leaf -blades 2-4 dm. long: flowers not showy: sepals 

 much longer than the perianth-tube: corolla-lobes 3-3,5 cm. long, much longer than 

 the tube : staminodia linear or nearly so : capsules 2.5-3.5 cm. long. 



In low grounds, Gulf States. Naturalized from the tropics. Summer and fall. 



2. Canna flaccida Boseoe. Leaf -blades 2.5-5.5 dm. long : flowers very showy : 

 Is 2.5-3 cm. long: corolla-lobes 5-6.5 cm. long, about as long as the tube: 



staminodia dilated: capsules 4-6 cm. long. 



In swamps near the coast, South Carolina to Florida. Spring to fall. 



FAMILY 3. ALPINIACEA1 Link. GINGER FAMILY. 



Caulescent, sometimes large herbs, mostly with horizontal rootstocks. 

 Flowers mostly perfect, borne in spike-like, sometimes cone-like, thyrsoid or 

 open panicles. Calyx of 3, partially united sepals, sometimes spathe-like. 

 Corolla of 3 petals partially united into a tube. Fruit capsular. 



LANGTTAS Koen. 



Herbs with horizontal, often thick, rootstocks and tall leafy stems. Leaves 

 rather numerous, spreading: blades relatively narrow. Panicle thyrsoid, terminating 

 the leafy stem, the bracts rather conspicuous, often imbricated. Calyx tubular or 

 campanulate, 3-lobed. Petals 3, the upper one larger than the others. Anther sur- 

 rounding the style. Lip (staminodium) larger than the perianth-members, often con- 

 cave and highly colored, the other staminodia minute, often obsolete. Capsule globu- 

 lar, sometimes baccate. 



1. Languas speciosa (Wendl.) Small. Plants 1-4 m. tall, the stems clothed with 

 the imbricated leaf -bases. Leaves ascending; blades oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-4 

 dm. long, lustrous, acuminate, sometimes variegated: flower-stalks drooping from a 

 sheath, the rachis and pedicels pubescent: calyx 18-23 mm. long; lobes minute: 

 corolla-lobes white, tinged with magenta: lip exceeding the perianth, 5-6 cm. long, 

 crisped, yellow, variegated with brown and red. [Alpinia speciosa (Wendl.) Sehum.] 

 In hammocks, southern peninsular Florida. Naturalized from the Bast Indies. SHELL 

 FLO WEB. 



FAMILY 4. MARANTACEAE Lindl. ARROWROOT FAMILY. 



Scapose or caulescent herbs. Flowers perfect or sometimes polygamous. 

 Calyx of 3 distinct or partially united sepals. Corolla of 3 distinct or partially 

 united petals. Androecium partially adnate to the corolla: one filament anther- 

 bearing, the others petaloid. Ovary 1-3-celled. Style thick, the stigma 2-lipped. 

 Fruit utricular, smooth. 



Petals partially united: lateral staminodia 2. 1. MARANTA. 



Petals distinct or nearly so: lateral staminodium 1. 2. THALIA. 



