A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



15 



Tilt' f!;ni.s,scs arc amoiif!; the most useful of plants. 

 The following, aiiioiiji; others, are, or have been, useii 

 as medicine: Rhizome of A(/ropi/ron repp/w (quiek- or 

 quack-grass) is einolHent, and aperient (several other 

 grasses have the same jjroperties) . Root oiAnindo Doiuix 

 (reed) is diuretic anil sudorific. Phrng/iiih'fi coiiiniiiiiis 

 was formerly considered depurative and anti-syphilitic. 

 Calamagrostis \v:is used by the French [leasants ;is a 

 diuretic, Pcrolis Idlijoli'i is used in India for the same 

 purpose, as ;ire also the seeds of Coix Lacrymn-J ohi in 

 China. The roots of Manimiris granularis are useil in 

 India for intestinal troubles. The aromatic, fragrant 

 roots of various .\ndroi50gons (or Cymbopogons) arc 

 used for medicine and for perfume in India and else- 

 where, e. g., A. Niirilus (false spikenard, citronella), .4. 

 ritralus (lemon-grass). -1. liiniir and A. SchaiKinUiua 

 (sweet rush, ginger-grass, geranivmi-grass) arc used in 

 .-Vfrica and Arabia ;is a stimulant, antispasmodic and 

 diaphoretic, and for perfume. 



The following are used for food: Seeds of wheat, 

 barley, rye, oats, rice, Indian corn and millet ; also seeds 

 of AndTopogonariindinaceus var. viilgnn- (sorghimi), and 

 var. Durra (durra). Pcnniscliim (imcricanum (pearl 

 millet) is an important food of the negro races, anil Po • 

 abi/ssinica and Eleusine are important in East Africa. 

 Sugar is obtained from the stems of several species, 

 most important of which are Sacchn7-um officiiKinii.i 

 (sugar-cane), and Andropogon arundinnceus var. siic- 

 charatus or .4. Sorghum (sugar sorghmn). 



Many grasses are used as fodder for cattle, as, for 

 instance, our pasture and hay grasses: Poa pratensis 

 (June grass, Kentucky blue grass), Phleum pralettsc 

 (timothy), Festuca ovina, etc. (fescue), AgrosHs alba 

 (red-top), Dactijlis gloineraia (orchard-grass), Cynodoii 

 Daetylon (Bermuda-grass). Some grasses are poisonous 

 to stock, e.g., Lulium temulcnium (darnel), and the 

 Peruvian Fesluca quadridentala. 



Straw from cereals is used for matting, upholstery, 

 bedding, hats and for making paper. 



The bamboos yield very important building material 

 in the East. Like the palms, the bamboos are used for 

 almost every conceivable purpose, and are among the 

 most useful of plants. 



Several grasses, ether than those above mentioned, 

 contain a fragrant principle, e.g., roots of Vetireria 

 zizanioides (vetiver or kus-kus of India) used to 

 perfume rooms, and to keep insects out of clothing. 

 Hiernchloe odornta (vanilla- or holy-grass) is used in 

 Europe in religious ceremonies, and by the American 

 Indians for making baskets. Anlhoxantham odorntitm is 

 the European sweet-grass, now introduced into America. 



The most important ornamental species are PhalarU 

 nruudinacca, Stipa piiiitala, Corladeria argentea, Lagurus 

 ovalus, Hordfum jubalum. Miscanthus sinensis, Briza, 

 Arundo, Phragmites, Erianthus, Pennisetum, Thysa- 

 nolaena, and Bamboos. 



In America 70-80 genera are cultivated, or are 

 important as natural fodder plants or weeds. Among 

 these are: Agropvron (Quack-Cirass, Couch-G., Quick- 

 G.); Agrostis (Bcnt-G., Red-Top, Cloud-G.,Tickle-G., 

 Fly-away-G.); .\ira (Hair-G.); Andropogon (Silver- 

 beard-G., .Johnson-G., Lemon-G.); Anthoxanthum 

 (Sweet Vernal-G.) ; Ammophila (Beaeh-G., Marram-G.) ; 

 Arundinaria (Large Cane, Switch Cane, Scotch Cane); 

 Arundo (Giant Reed); Avena (Oats); Bamboo; Briza 

 (Quaking-G.); Bromus (Brome-G., Rescue-G.); Cala- 

 magrostis (Reed Bent-G., Bluc-joint-G., Pony-G.); 

 Calamovilfa (Purple Bent-G.); Cenchrus (Sand-bur, 

 Bur-G.); Chloris (Finger-G.); Cinna; Coix (Job's Tears, 

 Tear-(i., Corn Beads); Cortaderia (Pampas-G.); Cyno- 

 don (Bermuda-G.); Cynosurus (Crested Dog's-tail, 

 Silky-awned Dog'-s-tai'l); Dactylis (Cock '.s- foot, Or- 

 chard-G.); Dactyloctenium (Crowfoot-G.); Desniazeria 

 (Spike-G.); De.sehampsia (Hair-G., Ha-ssock-G.); Dig- 

 itaria (Crab-(J., Finger-G.); Distichlis (Salt-G., Marsh 

 Spike-G.); Echinochloa (Barnyard-G.); Eleusine (Crab- 



G., Yard-G., Dog'.s-tail, Wire-G., African Millet); Ely- 

 mus (Lyme-G., VV'ild Rye, Terrel-G.); Eragrostis; Eri- 

 anthus (Woolly Beard-G., Plume-G., VVool-G., Ra- 

 venna-G.); Euchla;na (Teosinte); Festuca (Fescue-G.); 

 Glyceria or Panicularia (Reed Meadow-G., Manna-G.); 

 Cortaderia; Hierochloe (Vanilla-G., Holy-G., Seneca-G., 

 Sweet-scented-G.); Holcus (Meadow Soft-G.); Hordeum 

 (Squirrel-tail-G., Wild Barley, Barley); Hystrix or 



8. Gramixe.e: 1. a, part of a grass panicle: 6, spikelcf. 

 2. Avena, a, portion of panicle; 6, spikelet:r.ff.. empty glume; y?.(/., 

 flowering glume or lemma; pal., pnlet or palea; c, ground-plan of 

 spikelet. 3. Phleum, spikelet. 4. Phalaris, sheath and ligule. 



Asprella (Bottle-G.); Lolium (Darnel, Rye-G.); Milium 

 (Wild Millet-G.); Miscanthus (Eulalia, Himalaya 

 Fairy-G.) ; Oplismenus; Oryza (Rice) ; Oryzopsis (Moun- 

 tain Rice); Panicum (Panic-G., Old-Witch-G., Millet, 

 Broom Corn Millet) ; Pennisetum (Pearl Millet); Pha- 

 laris (Canary-G., Gardener's Garters) ; Phleum (Timothj'- 

 G., Herd's-G.); Phragmites (Common Reed); Phyllos- 

 tachys (Bamboo, in part); Poa (Blue-G., Kentucky 

 Blue-G., Meadow-G.); Saccharum (Sugar-cane); Secale 

 (Rye) ;Setaria (Millet, Hungarian-G., Foxtail-G., Pigeon- 

 G.); Spartina (Cord-G.); Sphenopholis; Stenotaphrum 

 (St. Augustine-G.); Stipa (Feathered-G., Esparto-G., 

 Porcupine-G.); Tripsacum (Garaa-G., Sesame-G.); 

 Triticum (Wheat, Spelt). 



28. Cyperaceae (from the genus Cyperus, the ancient 

 Greek name). Sedge F.^mily. Fig. 9. Herbaceous plants 

 with grass-like habit and solid .stems: leaves alternate, 

 in 3, rarely 2, vertical rows, linear; sheaths closed: 

 flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, hypogynous, 

 borne in variously dispo.sed spikelets, subtendefl and 

 hidden by overlapping scales none of which are regu- 

 larly empty as in the grasses; no true palets; perianth 

 reduced to bristles, scales, or 0; stamens 2~.3; 

 cari)els 2-3; ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuIed; style 1; stig- 

 mas 2-3: fruit an achene; seeds basal, anatropous, 

 albiuninous. 



There are 6.5 genera and about 3,000 species, inhabit- 

 ing the whole earth. More than .500 species belong to 

 the genus Carex, 400 to Cyi)erus, and 200 to Scirjius. 

 They are abundant in swampy regions. The family 

 is clf)sely related to the Graminea-, from which it differs 

 in the often .3-ranked leaves, solid .stem, the absence of 

 palets and of regular empty glumes, and the presence, 

 in ino.st ca.ses, of a |)crian1li :ind 3 carpels. Most 

 divergent from the ordinary is Carex, the flowers of 

 which are moncecious, and the pistillate, though naked, 

 are inclosed in a flask-shaped structure called a peri- 



