178 CLASSIFICATION. 



This class contains more than twenty families. Aroides 

 constitute a family, of which the genus arum (wild turnip) is 

 an important member, and from which the name is derived ; 

 aides, is derived from the Greek, and signifies resemblance ; 

 thus aroides denotes plants resembling arum. This family 

 have that kind of inflorescence called a spadix, surrounded by 

 that form of calyx called a spatha. Their leaves are sheath- 

 ing, alternate, and radical. 



Gramma, or grasses, constitute an important family ; they 

 have generally three stamens and one germ. The embryo is 

 small and attached to a farinaceous albumen. In germinating, 

 the cotyledon remains attached to the albumen and nourishes 

 the plume.* The roots are fibrous, and capillary. The culms 

 are cylindrical ; and either hollow, or pithy. The flower and 

 calyx are scales, called glumes. The chaffy fower, single 

 seed, mealy albumen, situation of tlie embryo, and method of 

 germination distinguish, in a peculiar manner, this family. 



CLASS 3. 



Stamens perigynous (around the germ). Fruit with three 

 cells. Embryo small, with a large albumen. 



Palms. In this class we find the family of the palms 

 (Palmce), which have a corolla deeply parted into 6 segments, 

 the 3 outer ones being the smallest. The stamens and pistils 

 are on separate plants ; the number of stamens is usually 6 ; 

 the filaments are often united at their base. The germ is su- 

 perior, or above the calyx. The fruit is a berry or fibrous 

 drupe, the albumen of which is at first tender and eatable, and 

 at last becomes hard. 



The stems of palms are usually undivided, lofty, and round: 

 they are not composed of concentric circles, being endogenous, 

 or growing internally ; they are scaly from the remains of the 

 indurated foot stalks of leaves ; in treating of endogenous stems 

 this peculiarity was observed. The leaves of palms appear in 

 a terminal tuft, alternate and sheathing. 



* See Fig. 90. 



Aroides Gramina Characters of class 3d Palms. 



