286 



APETALOUS ORDERS. 



Class II. — Endogeis-ous or Moxocotyledonoits Plants. 



531. Palmace^, tliG Palm Tribe. — Trees with undivided, 

 cylindrical stems which are scaly from the remains of the in- 

 durated foot-stalks of the leaves. The leaves appear in a ter- 

 minal tuft, alternate and sheathing, 

 either fan-sha])ed or pinnate, with 

 plicate vernation. Flowers small, 

 perfect or polygamous. Perianth 

 6-parted, in a double row, the three 

 outer ones being smallest. Stamens 

 6 ; filaments often united at the 

 base. Ovary 1-3-celled; .ovules 

 solitary. Fruit a berry, or fibrous 

 drupe. Seeds with cartilaginous 

 albumen ; emhryo in a small, sep- 

 arate cavity. 



a. Properties : various ; the fruit of some spe- 

 cies is edible, while that of others is extremely 

 hard. Many supply oil, wax, starchy matter, 

 sugar, (fee. The fibers are used for cordage. 



Genera. — Chamserops, Cocos, Sabal. 



Fig. 208, a, inflorescence of CnAM^ROPS liu- 

 mills in its spatha h ; c, an unexpanded flower- 

 bud ; d, a ripe fruit. (PL III., Fig. 3.) 



532. Arace^, the Arum Tribe. — Herbaceous or shmibby plants, 

 with a fl.eshy corm or rhizoma. Leaves petioled, sheathing at 

 the base, with parallel or branching veins. Inflorescence a, 

 spadix surrounded by a spatha. Flowers usually monoecious, 

 destitute of envelopes, or with a single perianth. Stamens 

 definite or indefinite; anthers extrorse. Ovary 1 or several 

 celled. Fruit a berry. Seeds with or without albumen ; em- 

 bryo small. 



Properties : acrid and heating. 



r^KNEEA. — Arum, Calla, Ictodes, Orontium, Acorus, Rensselaeria. 



533. Typpiace^, tlie Cat-tail Tribe. — Herbaceous plants grow- 

 ing in marshes or ditches. Leaves rigid, ensiform, with parallel 

 veins. Floicers closely arranged upon a spadix without a spa- 

 tha. Sejpals 3 or more, sometimes a mere bundle of hairs. Sta- 

 mens 3 or 6 ; filaments long. Ovary single, 1-celled ; ovule soli- 

 tary, pendulous. Fruit dry. Seed adhering to the pericarp ; 

 enihryo in the center of mealy albumen. (See Plate I., Fig. 6.) 



Genera. — Typha, Sparganium. 



534. Lemnaceje, the Duch-^eed Tribe. — Floating jjlants with 

 roots arising from the bottom of a flat frond. Leawes ov fronds 

 very cellular, lenticular, or lobed. Flowers produced from the 



