AEECACEAE. 3 



sheathing at the base : blades usually narrow and elongate, entire or nearly 

 so. Flowers variously disposed in a simple or compound inflorescence, 

 perfect or rarely monoecious or dioecious, incomplete, inconspicuous, borne 

 in the axils of chaffy bracts or scales (glumes). Fruit a caryopsis (grain) 

 or an achene, or rarely a nut, or baccate. 



FAMILY 1. POACEAE. GRASS FAMILY. 



A/unual or perennial herbs, or rarely shrubs or tree-like plants. 

 Stems (culms) usually hollow, the nodes closed. Leaves with a scarious 

 ring (ligule) at the sheath-orifice. Inflorescence of spikes, racemes, or 

 panicles. Spikelets of 2-many 2-ranked imbricate bracts (scales), the 

 upper ones bearing a flower surrounded by a bract-like organ (palet) which 

 is placed with its back to the axis (rachilla) which is often thickened and 

 appears as a hard projection (callus) at the base of the scale. Flowers 

 perfect, staminate, or pistillate. Stamens 1-6, rarely more, usually 3. 



1. LASIACIS A. Hitchc. Shrubs with erect or reclining stems and 

 branches, and flat leaf -blades. Spikelets very thick, often globular, paniculate, 

 obliquely articulated to the pedicels. Scales 4, the 3 outer papery, shining, 

 many-nerved, usually woolly at the apex, the first one less than \ as long as the 

 spikelet: fourth or fruiting scale bony-indurated, woolly at the apex, enclosing 

 a palet of similar texture and a perfect flower. 



1. L. divaricata (L.) A. Hitchc. Shrub 2-3 m. tall, the stems and branches 

 ascending or reclining: leaves numerous; sheaths overlapping, ciliate on the 

 margin; blades spreading or ascending, glabrous, acuminate, the larger ones 

 8-10 cm. long, 13-35 mm. wide: panicle 1 dm. long or less: spikelets 4-5 mm. 

 long, the first scale very broad, clasping the base of the spikelet. [Panicum. 

 latifolwm L.] SMALL-CAXE. 



Hammocks, coast of lower pen. Fla., E. Keys, and F. Keys. (IF. /.) 



Order ARECALES. 



Shrubs or trees, typically with a single terminal bud, but the stem 

 sometimes branching, the branches erect or diffuse. Leaves at the end of 

 the stem: blades plaited, pinnate or flabellate. Flowers perfect, poly- 

 gamous, or dioecious, on axillary compound spadices. Perianth of 6 fleshy 

 members in 2 series. Androecium of 6, or 9-12 stamens. Gynoecium of 

 3 distinct or united carpels. Fruit drupaceous or baccate. Seeds usually 

 hollow. 



FAMILY 1. ARECACEAE. PALM FAMILY. 



Stem, and branches, with a crown of leaves. Leaf-blades plaited, 

 long-petioled. Inflorescence at first included in a large bract (spathe), 

 from which it ultimately protrudes. 



Flowers perfect : petals valvate : carpels free only at the base : style slender, at least 



well developed. 

 Calyx and corolla united into a 6-lobed or truncate cup, or obsolete. 



1. COCCOTHRINAX. 



Calyx and corolla distinct and manifestly In 2 series. 



Style and stigma basal on the drupe. 2. SABAL. 



Style and stigma terminating the drupe. 



Anthers longer than wide : seed elongate. 3. SERBNOA. 



Anthers didymous : seed depressed. 4. PAUHOTIS. 



'lowers mostly polygamo-dioecious : petals imbricate : car- 

 pels free above : stigma sessile. 5. RHAPIDOPHYLLCM. 



