18 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



trif. mixtxi with cereals, according to Limui-us, serve 

 for l\H>d ajiioiig the Laps ami Finns, Portland arR)\v- 

 rvKit is lieriviHi from Arums. The delioati'l.N' (ia\oretl, 

 juicy fruits of Monstint (tcliciosii arc calcii in Mexico. 

 The shoots of Xiinthosoiiiii .':(iiiillif(>tiiiiii, callcii caraibe 

 cabbage, an- eaten as a vegetable in the Antilles. The 

 aerial roots of aroiils are used to tie bundles of sarsa- 

 p:irilla sent to Europe and .Vmerica. 



Because of their odd habit and strange appearance, 

 as well !»s, in some cjises, for real beauty, many Araceie 

 are in cultivation, mostly as conservatory plants. 

 Mimy genera are in the .American trade, .\niong these 

 are: Acorus (Sweet Flagi; .Alocasia; ,\mnr|)hi)])hallus 

 (Devil's Tongue, Snake I'alm, Staidey's Wash-Tub); 

 Anthurium: Arisivma (Indian Turnip, ,]ack-in-the- 

 Pulpit, Dragon Root, Fringed Calla); .\rum (Black 

 Calla, Solomon's Lily, Lord and Ladies, (Cuckoo Pint, 

 Wiike-Robin of England); Biarum; C'aladium; Calla; 

 Colocasia; Dieffenbachia; llelicodiceros (Hairy Arum); 

 Monstera (Ceriman, Shingle Plant); Nephthytis; Oron- 

 tium (Golden Club); Peltiindra (Water .Vrum); Pistia 

 (Water Lettuce, Tropical Duckweed); Pothos; Sauro- 

 matum; Schizmatoglottis; .Spathiphyllum; Symplocar- 

 pus, or Spathyema (.Skunk Cabbage); Xanthosma 

 (Malanga); Zantedeschia, or Richardia (Calla Lily, 

 Lily-of-the-\ile). 



;i2. Leninaceae (from the genus Lemnn, an old Greek 

 name of imcertain origin). Duckweed F.\mily. Fig. 10. 

 Tiny aquatic plants floating or submerged, the plant 

 body reduced to an o\'al or oblong, Hat or globular t hallus, 

 which multiplies rapidly by marginal buds, and may or 

 may not bear 1 or more roots on the und<Tside: flowers 

 uni.sexual, naked, monircious; the staminate consisting 

 of I stimien: the pistillate of 1 flask-shaped, 1-celled 

 pistil, with .several ovules; the latter orthotropous or 

 anatropous, the micropyle transformed into a cap: fruit 

 a several-seeded utricle. 



There are .3 genera and about 2.5 species, distributed 

 over the whole earth, except the arctics. The family is 

 related to the .\racea", from which it is supposed to 

 have degenerated. The flowers, which rarely occur, are 

 borne in minute pits in the edge or upper surface of 

 the thallus, either 1 staminate and 1 pistillate, or 2 

 staminate and 1 pistillate together; in some genera 

 provided with a spathe corresponding to the spathe in 

 the Aracea;. The roots, when present, are balancing 

 organs to resist the upsetting of the plant by the waves. 

 Wolffia is the tiniest flowering plant, the whole 

 plant sometimes in size only half the diameter of a 

 pinhead. 



By the very rapid vegetative multiplication of some 

 species, ponds are often completely covered with a 

 green coating, and these plants may then become of 

 economic importance. 



Lemna and .Spirodela are often grown in aquaria. 



Order 18. Farinose 



3-3. Bromeliaceae (from the genus Bromelia, in honor 

 of Olaus Brornel, a Swedish botanist). Pineapple 

 Family. Fig. 10. Herbs or subshrubs, mostly epiphytic: 

 leaves usually basal, alternate, linear, trough-like, 

 sheathing at the base, mostly stiff and spiny-serrate, 

 iLsuallj' covered in part or all over with peltate scale-like 

 hairs or glands: flowers in spikes, racemes, panicles or 

 heads, often in the axils of imbricated, highly colored, 

 bract.s, usually bisexual, regular, epigynous or hypogy- 

 nous; perianth of 6 parts, definitely differentiated into 

 calyx and corolla; parts free or united; stamens 6, often 

 borne on the perianth; anthers introse; ovary inferior 

 or .superior, 3-celled; ovules many; .style 1; .stigmas 3: 

 fruit a berry or capsule, more or less surrounded by 

 thepersistcnt perianth ; seeds albuminous. 



The family has 40 genera and about 900 species, 



almost exclusively of tropical and subtropical Amer- 



. ica. TiUanilisiii iisnecnden reaches Florida and Texas. 



Tillaiidsia is the largest g(>nus with 120 species. The 

 family is closely relat(vl to the Liliacece and Amaryl- 

 lidacea^ The peculiar stiff leaves, the conspicuous 

 bracts, t,he herbaceous calyx, t,he mealy endosperm, 

 and, in general, the epiphytic habit, are distinc- 

 tive. There are few families more easily recognized 

 than this. 



The most important economic species is the pine- 

 apple (Aniimis sntit'us), the fruit of which is an impor- 

 tant article of commerce. Its vmripe juice is used ;is a 

 vermifuge and diuretic. Florida or Spanish moss 

 {Tillamlsia u^ncoides) is used in the preparation of 

 a stiptic ointment. It is also used to stuff mattresses, 

 under the name of vegetable hair. BiUbergia tin.cloria is 

 the source of a dye. The leaves of pineapple yield a 

 beautifid fiber. Bromelia Pinguin is a vermifuge em- 

 ployed in the West Indies. 



There are several genera grown in America, all for 

 ornamental purposes except the pineapple. Among these 

 are: ^Echmea; Ananas (Pineapple) ; BiUbergia; BromeUa 

 (PinguinofJamacia, Wild Pine); Cryptanthus; Dyckia; 

 Guzmannia; Nidularium; Pitcairnia; Tillandsia (Span- 

 ish Moss, Florida Moss, Long Moss); Vriesia. 



34. Commelinaceae (from the genus Commelina dedi- 

 cated to J. and G. Commelin, Dutch botanists of the 

 early 18th century). Spideuwort Family. Fig. 10. Herbs 

 with knotty stems, and somewhat sheathing, alternate, 

 flat or channeled, cauhne leaves : flowers usually bisexual, 

 almost or quite regular, hypogynous; perianth of 6 

 parts, in 2 series, differentiated into a green calyx and 

 colored corolla; the petals separate or united into a tube, 

 mostly quickly disappearing, and dissolving into a viscid 

 hquid; stamens 6, or reduced to 3, with or without 

 staminodia; some anthers often sterile and altered; the 

 filaments usually provided with characteristic long 

 hairs; ovary superior, 2-3-celled, few-seeded; style 1; 

 stigma usually captitate: fruit a capsule. 



Twenty-five genera and about 300 species occur, 

 widely distributed in the tropics and subtropica. 

 Eleven species reach the northeastern United States. 

 The largest genus is Commelina, with 88 species. The 

 family is not closely related to any other. The general 

 habit, the complete differentiation of the perianth into 

 calyx and corolla, the slight irregularity of the flower, 

 the peculiar stamen-hairs, and the transformed anthers, 

 are together distinctive. The peculiar deliquescent 

 character of the petals in many genera is of interest. 



The rhizomes of several species of Commelina con- 

 tain starch, besides the mucilage, and are eaten. The 

 rhizome of C. Rumphii is an emmenagogue. The tubers 

 of Aneilema medicum are used in China for coughs 

 and lung diseases. A decoction of Cyanoiis axillaris 

 is used by the Indians for dropsy. The family is 

 most important from the point of view of orna- 

 mental use. 



Several genera are grown in America, all for ornament. 

 Among these are: Aneilema; Cochliostema; Commelina 

 (Day Flower); Dichorisandra; Tradescantia (Spider- 

 wort, Wandering Jew); Zebrina (Wandering Jew). 



3.5. Pontederiaceae (from the genus Pontederia, 

 named in honor of Pontedera, professor at Padua in 

 the 18th century). Pickerel-Weed Family. Fig. 11. 

 Upright or floating, fleshy, water- or swamp-plants: 

 leaves alternate; petioles sheathing; blade cordate, 

 oval, or orbicular, or reduced to the linear flattened 

 petiole: flowers not bracted, bisexual, irregular, hypogy- 

 nous; perianth of 6 similar parts, in 2 whorls, more or 

 less connate, persistent; stamens 3 or 6, rarely 1, inser- 

 ted unequally on the perianth-tube; anthers introse; 

 ovary superior, 3-celled and ovules many, or 1-celled 

 and 1-seeded; style 1; .stigmas 3: fruit a capsule, or an 

 achene enveloped by the fleshy persistent base of the 

 perianth; embryo as long as the endosperm. 



Tlic^ family contains 6 genera and about 20 species, of 

 which !) belong to the genus Heteranthera, and about 

 5 to Kichhornia. They are distributed in the swamps of 



