632 



BOTANY 



PART II 



FIG. 635. Myristicu. Transverse 

 section of seed, fa, sch., Seed- 

 coat ; end, endosperm ; pe, peri- 

 sperm. OFFICIAL. 



superior and the small petals bear nectaries ; the conspicuous calyx renders the flower 

 attractive. In the American genus Cabomba (Fig. 634) the flowers are trimerous and 



the pistil is apocarpous. The finely divided, sub- 

 merged leaves differ in appearance from the entire, 

 floating leaves. The carpels are also free in Nelum- 

 bium, both the leaves and flowers of which are 

 raised above the surface of the water. Victoria 

 regia from the Amazon, and Euryale ferox from 

 tropical Asia, have gigantic floating leaves ; they 

 are often cultivated in Botanic Gardens. The 

 flowers of the former are beetle-pollinated, while 

 the latter is autogamous. 



Family 2. Magnoliaceae. The plants of this 

 family are all woody with large terminal flowers. 

 The perianth leaves without distinction into sepals 

 and petals, the numerous stamens and the apocarpous carpels are all spirally- 

 arranged in ascending order on the elongated floral axis. The stigma terminates 

 the carpel without inter, 

 vening style. Oil-cells in 

 the stem and leaves. 

 Pollen - grains with one 

 germ - pore are character- 

 istic of the family. Drimys 

 and Zygogynum have wood 

 without vessels, like the 

 Coniferae. Magnolia and 

 Liriodendron (Tulip tree) 

 are frequently cultivated. 

 OFFICIAL. ANISI 



STELLATI FRUCTUS, Star- 



anise, is obtained from 

 Illicium verum (China). 

 The fruits of Illicium re- 

 ligiosum (Japan) are poison- 

 ous. 



Family 3. Anonaceae. 

 Woody platits of the 

 tropics, with spirally ar- 

 ranged stamens and apo- 

 carpous gynaeceum ; seeds 

 with ruminated endosperm. 



Family 4. Myristica- 

 ceae. Resembles the pre- 

 ceding family, but the 

 dioecious flowers are more 

 simply constructed (Figs. 

 635, 636). 



OFFICIAL. MYRIS- 

 TICA, Nutmeg. The seed 

 of Myristica fragrans divested of its testa. 



Family 5. Calycanthaceae. These plants show a continuous sequence from 



Fio. 636. Myristwa fragran*. 1, Twig with male flowers (i nat. 

 size). 2, Ripe pendulous fruit opening. ^, Fruit after re- 

 moval of one-half of the pericarp, showing the dark brown 

 seed surrounded by the ruptured arillus. It, Kernel freed 

 from the seed-coat. OFFICIAL. 



