U) 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



cvniiun, whioli probalily corrfspoii.ls to tli.- inodilio.l 

 palot of t Ik- urass spikolot . Tlu- oloiiRuttHi ponant h I orms 

 thewiwlofthowool-jims-s or oot I on-snws Iho scalt-s 

 of tlu- spik.-lot an- in 2 fTuiks in Cyporus ami Dulu-hunu; 

 in nianv ranks in the ollior genera. . . 



The CviH-raeea^ are of far less economic unportance 

 than the C.nuninea-. The rhi/.oin(-s of se\eral species 

 of Ciirex wen- fornierlv usixi as a reiiuily m syplulis. 

 Scirpus lacustris is sistrinsent and iliuretie, but other 



9 Ctpebace.e; 1. Scirpua, a, portion of inflorescence: 6. flower 



2. Eriophor^m, spikelet. 3. Carex; -J, i""'"-''-^"''"^-' V t' X and 

 KCtion periKynium. Pai-maoe.e: 4. ChamiEropa, a, spathe and 

 Six; fc! floral diagram. Cyc:.,anth.vce.e: 5. Cyclanthus, inflo- 

 re?ceDCC. Q. Carludovica. inflorescence. 



species also possess this property. The foliage of 

 Kriophorum has been used for dysentery. The spongy 

 pith of the Eriophorum stem was used by tjerman 

 poiisants for tapeworm. The tubers of Cyperus escu- 

 Irnlm now a weed in all countries, were cultivated 

 bv the Egvptians for food. The leaves of many species 

 of Cvperacea' have been woven into mats, chair- 

 bottom.s, and the like. The Egyptians made parchment 

 from the pith of Cyperus Papynu>. The rhizomes ot 

 EleochariK tuheroxa are u.sed in the manufacture ot 

 starch, in China and India. Cyperus scanosiis and C. 

 perlenuis, of India, are fragrant and used in making 

 perfumery. Some carices are used in making rugs. 



Several genera are in cultivation in America, mostly 

 for water-gardens, table decorations, and the con- 

 «T\'atory: Carex (Sedgej; Cyperus (Umbrella Palm, 

 EgA-ptian Paper Plant, Egyptian Papyrus, Chufa), 

 Dulichium; Eleocharis; ]':riophorum (Cotton-L.ras8, 

 Wool-Grassj ; Mapania; Scirpus (Bulrush Sedge). 



Order 15. Principes 



29 Palmaceae (from the Latin name pnirrui). 

 Palm Family. Fig. 9. Woody plants of various habit, 

 low or arborescent, or climbing, usually unbranched 

 Bom'etimf« spinr-scent: leavra forming a crown at summit 

 of stem except in Calamus, alternate, coriaceous pal- 

 mately or pinnately veined, entire or pinnatihd or 

 palmatifid, often very large: inflorescence a simple or 



nuich-bianclu-d spadix, with or without a subtending 

 spath(- the latter often woody; flowers unisexual, 

 rarely bi.s(-xual, often sunk in the spadix; perianth of 

 (•) parts in 2 series, greenish, often woody, valyate in 

 the staminate, iinbricati'.l or convolute in the pistillate 

 flower; stamens 0, rarely ;5 or many, on or around a 

 disk, .-separate or united; carpels :!, rarely fewer, sepa- 

 rate or forming a l-;5-cellecl ovary; each cell 1-ovuled, 

 but ;ai except one seed in the ovary may abort; stigmas 

 usually a: fruit a berry or drui)e; pericarp fleshy or 

 fibrous; seeds albuminous. . 



Palmacea- luis 128 genera and about 1 ,000 species ot 

 tropical distribution; 10-15 species are found in the 

 southern United States. The largest genera are 

 Calamus with about 200 species, Bactris with 90 

 species and Chaimedorea with 60 species. Ihe tamily 

 is verv <listinct, having no close relatives, but it evi- 

 dently belongs to the spathe- and spadix-bearing groiip. 

 The habit , coriaceous plicate leaves which are entire 

 in the bud, the woodv flowers and mflorescenc^, the 

 3 sepals and 3 petals, the usually stamens, and the 

 3 carpels, each with 1 seed, are together distinctive. 



Pabu leaves are always entire in the bud, and it 

 1-iter pinnatifid or palmatifid, become so on unfolding. 

 In this respect the palms are unique. The leaves are 

 plicate in the bud, and, on opening, the plates of the tan 

 expand and either remain united or, more frequently, 

 split down along the folds. In the pinnate species 

 the rachis between the folds elongates so that the 

 divisions are separated, and the well-known palm leaf 

 is t)roduccd. The splitting may be at the top of the 

 fold or at the bottom, depending on the genus, and 

 is an important characteristic in classification, borne 

 of the largest seeds in the plant kindgom be ong to the 

 Palmacese, as, for example, the coconut. This trtait is 

 produced from an originally 3-cclled ovary, 2 cells ot 

 which abort. „ 



Next to the grasses, the palms are the most generaUy 

 useful of all plants. It is said that probably there is 

 not a species but that is useful in some way Many 

 yield textile fibers. The wood is used to build houses 

 and the leaves to thatch the roofs. The leaves are also 

 made into mats, baskets, hats, and the hke. The 

 fibrous bud-sheaths are used as hats, or for fiber. Some 

 species contain starch or sugar in the trunk 1 he truits 

 of many contain sugar, protein, starch, or oil Compara- 

 tively few are medicinal. "The palm is called King of 

 Plants and is said to supply all the wants of an inhabi- 

 tant of the tropical zone. It yields sugar, milk, solid 

 cream, wine, vinegar, oil, cordage, cloth cups, wood 

 for building, thatch and other products. Coconuts, 

 the fruit of Cocos tiucifcra, form one of 'he mos im- 

 portant foods of the tropics. The date ruit (Phwrnx 

 .laddikrn of the Sahara) is also important. MHroxylon 

 Rumphii, and other species, yield sago. A fermented 

 liquor known as pahn wine, laymi or arrack, is^made 

 from the juice of Arenga sacchanfcra , Borassus flabeUi- 

 f or mis, Mdroxylon Rumphii, Mauritia timfera, and 

 Others'. The central bud of the cabbage Palm and 

 others is used for food. Most palm oil is from the r t 

 of ELtis qidneensis of West Africa, which is now culti- 

 vated in' America. It is used like olive oil , or in the 

 North for making soap. Vegetable wax is ob ained 

 from the leaves and stems of Ceroxylon andicolum of 

 Peru al.so from Copcrnicia cerifera (carnauba wax). 

 The famous 'giant double coconut is from Lodmcea 

 schdlarum of the Seychelle Islands The ru. of 

 Areca Calecha of the East Indies and India i'^M^ ^ 

 a-stringent juice which, mixed with t he^ leaves o the 

 be"l p<-pper and lime, is chewed by the inhabitants 

 of tropical Asia. Coconut fiber is important for mak ng 

 ship cables. The very sleiuler stems of Calamus often 

 :}00 feet or even .500 f(-et long (it is reported 1,201) or 

 1 SOO feet, but not verifie.l) and scarcely larger than a 

 nine-stem or a finger, an- called rattan, and used for 

 Rmiitur " Much of the dragon's blood of the druggists 



