DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 39 



from 3 to 7, yellow, nearly an inch in diameter. Spathe 1. Filaments 

 united at base only. Style divided to the middle. Capsule oblong. 

 This stains the paper purple when it is pressed. It grows in swampy 

 places near the ocean. 



ORCHIDA'CE^. ORCHIS FAMILY 



Perennials, with perfect flowers of peculiar shapes, perianth 

 of 6 divisions adnate to the 1-celled ovary, which contains an 

 immense number of ovules. The stamens are 1 or 2, united 

 with the pistil. The pollen is of a few waxy grains, held 

 together by cobweb-like threads. The family is difficult, and 

 the specimens are so rare that they should not be collected in 

 large numbers for class study. The most familiar genera are 

 Cypripe'dium, Lady's Slipper ; Spiran'thes, Ladies' Tresses ; 

 Habena'ria; and JEpipac'tis. 



SUBCLASS II. DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 



Stems composed of bark, wood, and pith ; in woody stems 

 which live over from year to year, the wood is generally in 

 annual rings, traversed at right angles by medullary rays. 

 Leaves netted-veined. Cotyledons 2 (rarely more). 



DIVISION I 



APETALOUS PLANTS. FLOWERS WITHOUT A COROLLA, OFTEN 

 WITHOUT A CALYX. CALYX OFTEN COLORED LIKE A 

 COROLLA. 



PIPERA'CE.32. YERBA MANSA FAMILY 



Perennial herbs with jointed or scape-like stems. Leaves 

 entire, with petioles dilated at base, and without stipules. 

 Flowers perfect, without perianth, in dense terminal spikes, 

 with a bract under each flower. Stigmas l-o, stamens 3-6 

 or more. 



