14 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINCiI)().\[ 



ous iniirsh plants with milky juioo: leaves miistly lia-sal, 

 Blioathin^, with a seale in the axil; blade various, lldat- 

 ifiRorertH't, often sasittate, varyinj; in size ami widtli 

 with the depth of the.water, palinali'ly |)ai-allel-veiiie<l 

 with er\>ss veiiilets; flowers bisexual or unisexual, ret;- 

 ular, hypog\noiis, in whorls of S; sepals 3, more or less 

 hyaline; petals .>, white ami petaloid; stiunens (3 to 

 niany, in stn-eral whorls: earpels very many, separate 

 or rarely eoherent. spirally arranged or in a wliorl, 

 1-ovulixi, rarely 'J-.Vovuled : fruit dry. rarely dehiseent, ; 

 sfHxi basal, anatropous, exalbuminous; embryo eurved. 



The fiunily lias 10 tienera and about .'lO sjieeies, dis- 

 tributed throughout the warmer and temperate zones. 

 The fiUiiily is related to tlu' Hutomaeea' and .hmca- 

 pinacea>, wliieh are all peeuliar in hax'ing an axillary 

 intra vaginal seale. The whorled flowers, differentiated 

 perianth, nuinen)us earpels, and mostly solitary, basal, 

 exalbiuninous seeds are distinctive. 



The aerid juiee formerly led to the occasional use of 

 these plants in meilieine. The tubers and rhizomes of 

 Sagittaria were eaten by the American Indians as 

 wappat«, and are cultivated in China. They are said 

 to come into the Chinese market at San Francisco, pre- 

 servwl in liquid. 



Two genera are in cultivation for water-gardens: 

 Alisma (Water I'lantain), native; and Sagittaria 

 (.\rrowhead!, some native. 



2.'). Butomacese i from the genus Bi(/om!«t, signifying 

 01 + to ciil. in reference to the rough leaves). Fig. 7. 

 Aquatic or marsh herbs: leaves basal, with an axial 

 scale, sometimes with milky juice; blade hnear or 

 oval; veins palmately parallel with cross veinlets, or 

 nearly veinle-ss: flowers solitary or mnbellcd, bisexual, 

 regular, hypogynous; sepals 3, subherbaceous; petals 3, 

 colored, imbricated; st.amens 9 or more, whorled; 

 carpels 6 or more, separate; ovules nimierons, borne 



7. Alismace.*:: 1. .Minma. a, inflorescence; b, flower; c, floral 

 diai^am; d, fruit. 2. .Sagittaria. a. fmit; 6. aehenc. BrTOMACE.E; 

 3. Butomu-M. flower. HYDRociJAiilTACE.E: 4. Etodea, female flower 

 branch. 5. \'atli.ineria, a, habit and flower; b, female flower. 



between the margias and midrib of the carpel: fruit 

 drj', dehiscent; seed anatropous, exalbuminous; embryo 

 straight or cur\'ed. 



The family contains 4 genera and aboutr o species, 

 natives of the temperate and tropical zones of the Old 

 World, and the tropics of the N'(!W Worlrl. The family 

 is relatwl U> the Ali.smaf;ea; and .Jimcaginacea^ from 

 the former of which it differs principally in the numerous 

 ovules and their peculiar position. 



The roots and .seeds of Butomus were once used as 

 emollients. The baked roots of Butomus are eaten in 

 North .Asia. 



Two genera are in cultivation for water-gardens: 

 Butomus (Flowering Rush), and Limnocharis (Water 

 Poppy). 



2ti. Hydrocharitaceas (from the genus Hydrocluiris, 

 deri\'ed from the tireek meaning ivalcr and rejoice). 

 Fitoc's-BiT Famii^y. Fig. 7. Submerged aquatic herbs, 

 rarel_\- floating, the flowers usually at first inclosed by 

 a 2-bracted spathe: leaves alternate or opposite, very 

 diverse, cortlate, linear or ribbon-like: flowers usually 

 unisexual, regular, epigynous; perianth in 2 series, 

 composed of ;> imbriea((^d or valvate, ealicoid parts, 

 and 3 convolute petaloid parts, rarely of only 3 divisions; 

 stamens in 1 to several series of 3, some often stami- 

 nodia; carpels 2-15; ovary inferior, 1-celled with parie- 

 tal placenta', or imperfectly se\'eral-celled; stigmas 3- 

 6: fruit not regularly dehiseent, .submerged, some- 

 what fleshy; seeds many, exalbuminous. 



There are 14 genera and about 40 species widely 

 distributed. The family is related to the Alismaceoe 

 and Naiadacea*. The differentiation into calyx and 

 corolla, the usually numerous stamens, the inferior, 

 1-celled ovary with parietal placenta?, and the exalbumi- 

 nous seeds are together characteristic. The plants of 

 this family are very diverse in appearance and often 

 striking. Fossil species are known. The pollination of 

 Vallisncria is very remarkable. (See Kerner and Oliver, 

 "Natural History of Plants"). 



Elotlea canadensis, introduced into Europe from 

 America, has there become so abundant as to impede 

 navigation. The plants of Hydrocharis, Stratiotes, and 

 Elodea are used as fodder and as manure in Europe. 

 The starchy rootstocks of Ottelia and Boottia are 

 eaten in Intlia as pot-herbs; also the tubers and fruits 

 of Enalus. The fibers from the leaves of Enaliis are 

 used in India. Vnllisneria allernifolia is employed in 

 India in the preparation of sugar. 



Five genera are in cultivation in America, mostly for 

 aquaria: Elodea(Waterweed, Ditch-Moss, Water Thyme, 

 Water Pest) ; Hydrocharis (Frog's-Bit); Limnobium 

 (.American Frog's-Bit) ; Stratiotes (Water Soldier, Water 

 Aloe); VaUisneria (Eel-Grass, Tape-Grass). 



Order 14. Glumiplor^ 



27. Gramine* (from the Latin signifying grass). 

 Grass Family. Fig. 8. Herbs, or sometimes almost 

 tree-like: stems hollow or solid: leaves usually linear, in 

 2 ranks; composed of a sheath which is usually open 

 down the front, a sessile blade, and a ligule at the 

 junctiue of blade and sheath: flowers bisexual or uni- 

 sexual, naked, or with the perianth reduced to 1-3 tiny 

 scales, borne in specialized spik(>lets composed of 3 or 

 more 2-ranked scales, the first 2 emiify (called empty 

 glumes), the others termed flowering glumes or lem- 

 mas, and 1 scale on each secondary flower-bearing 

 axis, called a palet or palea; .stamens 2-3, e.\serted for 

 wind-pollination; carpel 1; ovary 1, l-cefled, 1-ovuled; 

 stigmas feathery, usually 2: fruit a caryopsis; seed 

 with endosperm, and ejnbryo with an absorbing organ. 



Gramineic is a family of 300-400 genera and per- 

 haps .1,000 species distributed all over the earth. The 

 largest genera are Panicum with 300-400 species, Pas- 

 palum with 160 species, and Poa with 100 species. The 

 Graminea' and Cyperaceie form a very distinct group. 

 The usually hollow stem, the open sheaths, the ligule, 

 the 2-rankcd leaves, and the jieculiar spikelet-structure 

 are the best characters to sejiarate Graminea" from Cy- 

 peracea;. The Indian corn is one of the most modified of 

 gra.sses. It is mona'oious. Thestaminate spikelets arear- 

 rangecl on finger-like branches of the tassel at the sum- 

 mit of the plant ; the pistill.ate spikelets are borne on the 

 cob, which is supposed to be compo.sed of similar finger- 

 like port ions grown toget her. Each spikelet is 2-flo\yered, 

 but only 1 flower be.-irs an ovary. The kernel is this 

 ovary, and the chaff on the cob represent the glumes 

 and palets. The grasses are divided into 13 tribes. 



