276 



MONOCOTYLEDONES. 



(Figs. 300, 309). Connecting the large number of veins which 

 run longitudinally, there are as a rule only weak tran verse ones. 

 It is very rarely that other forms of leaves are found, such as cor- 

 date (Figs. 302, 312), or that the blade is branched, or the vena- 

 tion is, for example, pinnate or palmate (Figs. 225, 298) ; these 

 deviations are especially found in the Araceae, the Palms,- the 

 Scitamineae (Fig. 308), the Dioscoreaceae, and in several aquatic 

 plants. The incisions in the Palm-leaf are derived by the split- 

 ting of an originally entire leaf. 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE FLOWER is generally as follows : Pr3 + 3, 

 A3 + 3, G3, rarely S3 + P3 with the other members unchanged. 1 

 Instead of 3, the numbers 2 and 4 may occur ; rarely others. In 

 all these instances there are 5 whorls, which regularly alternate 

 with one another, most frequently in the 3-merous flower, as in the 

 diagram (Fig. 278). This diagram is found in the following 



* 



278. 279. 230. 



FIG. 278. Diagram of the ordinary, regular flower in the Monocotyledons : is the 

 bract. 



FIG. 279. Diagram of Iris : / the bracteole ; in its axil is a shoot with its bracteole. 

 FIG. 280. Diagram of Orchis . I the lip ; a- a- the two staminodes. 



orders : Liliaceae, Convallariacese, Juncacea3, Bromeliacea3, Ama- 

 ryllidaceee, Dioscoreacese, Palmes, some Araceee, and in some small 

 orders, and may be considered as the typical structure and also 

 the starting 1 point for the exceptional orders. The ovary in many 

 Monocotyledons has many ovules, and the fruit becomes a many- 

 seeded berry or capsule ; this form is no doubt the oldest. In 

 others the number of seeds becomes reduced to 1, and the fruit 

 then becomes a cypsela, or a drupe (e.g. Graminece, Cyperacece, 

 Palmce, etc). 



Deviations from this typical floral structure in some instances 



1 Eegarding these and other abbreviations see the appendix in the book. 



