ORCHID FAMILY 



499 



one in our region. The Agaves are very important plants in 

 Mexico where the natives obtain from them pulque, a fermented 

 drink, mescal, a distilled drink resembling rum, and various 

 fibers as sisal hemp and henequen. 



In connection with families noted for fibers and not pre- 

 viously referred to, there is the Linden family of the Dicotyle- 

 dons from which Jute is obtained and the 

 Banana-like plant of the Banana family 

 from the leaf stalks of which Manila hemp 

 is obtained. 



Orchid Family (Orchidaceae) . This 

 family includes the most highly developed 

 Monocotyledons, and if the Monocoty- 

 ledons are higher than the Dicotyledons, 

 then the plants of this family are the most 

 highly developed of the plant kingdom 

 In the Orchids the flowers are highly 

 specialized, often very showy, and present 

 interesting mechanisms to secure cross- 

 pollination. The family includes numer- 

 ous species and nearly one-fourth of the 

 Monocotyledons. The most highly spe- 

 cialized ones are tropical and occur only 

 in greenhouses in the temperate regions. 



The flowers are epigynous and show extreme irregularity 

 (Fig. 4-54)- One of the petals called the lip varies much in shape 

 and is usually very different from the other petals. The one 

 or two stamens join with the style of the pistil to form the column. 

 In most cases the pollen sticks together, forming masses called 

 pollinia, and it is in these masses that the pollen is carried from 

 one flower to another by insects. 



FIG. 454. A flower of 

 an Orchid (Cypripedium) , 

 showing the irregularity 

 among the parts of the 

 perianth, and an insect 

 entering the pouch-like 

 structure of the corolla. 

 After Gibson. 



