A SYNOPSIS -OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



17 



is the red juice of the fruit of Calamus Draco. Palm- 

 leaf fans are made from the palmately veined leaves of 

 several species. The saw palmetto (Sabal serrulata) 

 of the southern states is medicinal. The seeds of Phy- 

 telephas macrocarpa have a very hard endosperm 

 known as vegetable ivory, used for carving as a sub- 

 stitute for ivory. 



Probably 100 genera are in the trade. Except in the 

 tropics, they are almost entirely ornamental greenhouse 

 plants. Among these are: Areca (Betel Nut); Attalea; 

 Bactris; Calamus; Caryota (Fish-tail Palm, Wine 

 Palm, Toddy Palm) ; Ceroxylon (Wax Palm) ; Chamse- 

 dorea; Cocos (Coco Palm, Coconut, Pindo Tree); 

 Corypha (Talipot Palm); Dsemonorops ; Eloeis (Oil 

 Palm); Erythea (Blue Palm); Geonoma; Hedyscepe 

 (Umbrella Palm); Howea (Flat Palm, Thatch Leaf 

 Palm, Curly Palm); Livistona; Oreodoxa (Royal Palm, 

 Cabbage Palm); Phoenix (Date Palm); Phytelephas 

 (Ivory Palm) ; Rhapis; Rhapidophyllum (Blue Pal- 

 metto, Needle Palmetto); Sabal (Dwarf Palmetto, 

 Blue Palm, Cabbage Palmetto); Seremea (Saw Pal- 

 metto); Thrinax; Trachycarpus (Fortune's Palm); 

 Washingtonia or Pritchardia (Weeping Palm). 



Order 16. SYNANTILE 



30. Cyclanthaceae (from the generic name Cyclan- 

 thus, which has reference to the spiral arrangement of 

 the flowers). CYCLANTHDS FAMILY. Fig. 9. Stemless or 

 caulescent, palm-like, somewhat woody plants, often 

 climbing: leaves alternate, coriaceous, cleft or parted: 

 flowers in a dense terminal unbranched spike (spadix), 

 with several bract-like spathes beneath; staminate flow- 

 ers grouped in 4 bundles accompanying the pistillate, 

 or both in conspicuous alternating spirals; staminate 

 perianth reduced and fimbriate, or 0; stamens 6 to 

 many, borne in groups; perianth of the pistillate flower 

 0, or of 4 fleshy parts accompanied by 4 long, twisted, 

 exerted staminodia; carpels 4, united below, sunken in 

 the spadix; ovary 1 -celled, many-pvuled, with parietal 

 placenta: fruit multiple, a berry-like spike. The tissue 

 of the spadix splits into valves, coiling up from the base 

 to apex and thus inclosing the fruitlets which deli- 

 quesce. 



This family has 5 genera and about 50 species, of 

 which 35 belong to Carludovica. They are confined to 

 the tropics of America, and stand intermediate between 

 the Palmaceoe and Aracea?. The family is distinguished 

 by the combination of palm-like foliage, numerous 

 ovules, thick spadix, and closely associated staminate 

 and pistillate flowers. 



The flowers of Cyclanthus biparlitus of Brazil are 

 vanilla-scented, cultivated, and cooked with meat as an 

 aphrodisiac. The leaves of Carludovica palmata furnish 

 the material for the panama hats. 



Several species of Carludovica are in the American 

 trade as greenhouse plants. 



Order 17. SPATHIFLOR<E 



31. Aracese (from the genus Arum, the ancient name 

 of these plants). ARUM FAMILY. Fig. 10. Herbs, shrubs, 

 or trees, of the most diverse habit and appearance, often 

 climbing, or epiphytic with aerial roots, rarely floating, 

 usually subfleshy; juice sometimes milky: leaves ensi- 

 form or broad, parallel- or netted- veined, entire or 

 variously cut: flowers bisexual or unisexual, rarely 

 reduced to a single stamen and carpel, regular, hypogy- 

 nous or epigynous, disposed on an unbranched fleshy 

 axis (spadix), which is usually subtended by a special 

 bract (spathe); perianth 0, or of 4-8 parts; stamens 

 1 to many; carpels 1 to several; ovary superior or in- 

 ferior, 1 to several-celled, 1 to many-ovuled; style and 

 stigmas various: fruit a berry; seeds albuminous, outer 

 integument fleshy. 



Araceae has over 100 genera and about 900 species, 

 widely distributed, but most abundant in the tropics, 



especially as epiphytes in the deep, damp forests. The 

 majority in the temperate regions are swamp-plants. 

 The largest genera are Philodendron with 100 species, 

 and Arisaema with 50 species. The family stands as 

 the type of the spathe-bearing plants. Its close relatives 

 are the Lemnacese, Palmaceae, and Cyclanthacea;, from 

 which it is distinguished more by general habit and 

 texture than by structural details. 



The pollination of the Aracese is often complicated 

 and remarkable (see Kerner and Oliver). The transfer 

 of the pollen is mostly accomplished by flies, which 

 are frequently attracted by lurid color and carrion 

 scent. The leaves of Monstera are remarkable for 

 their peculiar perforations, while the massive petioles 

 of other Araceae are sometimes mottled like snakeskin 

 Pistia is a much-reduced floating aquatic, transitional 

 to the Lemnaeese. The aerial roots of the epiphytic 

 species are frequently covered with a special water- 

 absorbing tissue. The unfolding spathes of the Aracese 

 are noted for the heat evolved. The tissues are usually 

 very mucilaginous and filled with needle-like crystals 

 of calcium oxalate. These crystals are supposed to 

 give the pungent flavor to Indian turnip simply by 

 mechanically penetrating the tongue. 



Many species have been used locally for medicine. 

 Lagenandra. toricaria of Ceylon is extremely poisonous. 



10. ARACE.E: 1. Ariaaema, spathe and spadix. 2. Arum spadix 

 with male and female flowers. LEMNACE.E: 3. Lemna, a, whole 

 plants; 6, male and female flowers, and spathe. BROMEUACE*: 4. 

 Bromelia, flower. 5. Ananas, a, fruiting inflorescence; fr, floral 

 diagram. COMMELINACE.E : 6. Commelina, flower. 7. Tradescantia, 

 flower. 



Dieffenbachia Seguine and Arissema triphyllum are 

 violent irritants when chewed, causing the mouth to 

 swell. Arum maculatum of Europe was used by the 

 ancients as an excitant. The roots of Symplocarpus 

 have been used for asthma and colds. The roots of 

 Acarus Calamus (sweet flag) are aromatic and used 

 for coughs, colds, and the like. The thick rootstocks 

 and roots of many have been used for food, e. g., Oron- 

 lium aquaiicum of North America, Colocasia antiquo- 

 rum of India, Alocasia macrorhiza (taro) of the Pacific 

 Islands, and Peltandra virginica of North America. 

 The rhizomes of Arisxma maculatum and Calla palus- 



