296 PHYLU^I XIV. AXTHOPHYTA 



stem, commonly diclinous (i.e. stamens and pistils in 

 separate flowers, monoecious or dioecious) usually sub- 

 tended V)y a colored leaf (spathe). Each flower is like a 

 very small lily, but it is very short verti- 

 cally, and relatively thick ('"squatty")- 

 The short stamens are usually six, and 

 the very short-styled pistil is 3-celled (or 

 ^i68"^aiia l-ceflcd). The perianth lobes are short, 

 pSiKPoThTs).'"^ thick and fleshy or wanting. Through- 

 out the order (w^hich is largely tropical) 

 there is a marked tendency toward fleshiness both as to 

 the plant body (always herbaceous) and the flowers. 



538. Palms {Palmales). This order of woody trees 

 and coriaceous leaves has small flowers resembling those 

 of the Lilies, but with the parts usually harder and more 

 parchment-like in texture. In the Coconut the flowers 

 are separated (diclinous), one kind having functional 

 stamens (staminate), and the other a functional pistil 

 (pistillate) . The staminate flower has a perianth of two 

 ternate whorls, the outer (sepals) shorter than the 

 inner (petals). The stamens are six in two whorls, and 

 there is a small, tricarpellary functionless pistil. The 

 pistillate flower is much larger, and 

 has a perianth of two ternate whorls, 

 the sepals and petals being similar to 

 each other. There are no stamens. 

 The large pistil is tricarpellary and 

 should contain a seed in each of the 



, 1 , , 1 1 Fig. 169. — Palm flowers 



carpels, but two seeds are always (Cocos). 



suppressed and their carpellary cavi- 

 ties are crushed by the growth of the third large 

 seed. The fruit has much the structure of a plum; 

 in which the inner part of the ovary wall becomes 

 stony (sclerenchyma), while the outer part remains 



