162 



BOTANY. 



While most of the grasses are comparatively small plants, 

 a few of them are almost tree-like in their proportions, the 

 species of bamboo (Bambusa) sometimes reaching a height of 

 twenty to thirty metres, with stems thirty to forty centimetres 

 in diameter. 



ORDER V. Scitaminece. 



The plants of this order are all inhabitants of the warmer 

 parts of the earth, and only a very few occur within the limits 

 of the United States, and these confined to the extreme south. 



n 



FIG. 88. Scitaminess. A, upper part of a flowering plant of Indian shot 

 (Canna), much reduced in size (Cannacete). B, a single flower, x V 2 . C, the 

 single stamen (an.), and petal-like pistil (#?/.)> x 1. D, section of the ovary, 

 x 2. E, diagram of the flower. The place of the missing stamens is indi- 

 cated by small circles. F, fruit, x %. G, section of an unripe seed. em. 

 embryo, p, perisperm, x 2. 



They are extremely showy plants, owing to their large leaves 

 and brilliant flowers, and for this reason are cultivated exten- 

 sively. Various species of Canna (Fig. 88) are common in 

 gardens, where they are prized for their large, richly-colored 



