A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



11.11110'. OiNCKR Family. Fiji. 12. llt'i!)s with civcping 

 or tubonnis rhizoiiu's, nirt'ly with lil)rous roots: U'livcs 

 l>;»sjil or i-!iuliiio. ahornstc. sliealliinp: bUuii- with lisule 

 at top of petiole, linear or elliptie, the pinnately 

 pamllel veins str<)n)jly a.seemlins;: flowers bisexual, 

 irreirular, epipyiioiis; perianth of parts, in 2 series, 

 ililTenMitiatinl into a tubular :}-toollieil or spathiform 

 somewhat herbaeeous ealyx, and a lubulai' uneciually 

 3-lobo<l eorolla; 1 stamen only is fertile, opposite tliis is 

 a l.'irjje petaloiil stiuniiUHliuin, and there are sometimes 

 other smaller ones; ovary inferior, 3-celled, rarely 1- 

 celltM: ovules many in eaeh cell; style 1; sti(;nia usually 

 1: fruit a capsule; seed with large peris|)er]n, small 

 endosperm, and straight embryo. 



There are 24 genera and about 270 species, di-stributcd 

 in the tropical regions of the ea.stcrn hemisphere. Only 

 2 genera are in America. The largest genera are .\mo- 

 miim. with ,">0 species, .and .\lpinia, with M) species. 

 The family is related to the Mu.saceie, Maraiitaccic 

 and Cannace;r, but differs in the ligule, the aromatic oil, 

 the sharp difTercntialion of the ixrianth, the single 

 stamen, and the large single stamiiiodium. 



To the spicy aromatic flavor of the rhizomes and 

 fruits the family owes its useful qualities. Ginger is 

 from the rhizomes o! Zingihir ojfirimilc, cultivated from 

 India. Cardamon fruits are from Eletlari.a Cardnmu- 

 mum of farther India. Curcuma or turmeric is from 

 the rhizomes of Curcuma luuyu, cultivated from south- 

 ea-st Asia. This is used in medicine, and for flavor- 

 ing pickles. In it is a yellow dye. The seeds of Aiiw- 

 miim Meleguela of west Africa are the grains of [lara- 



13. Ca>*.vace*: 1, Canna, n, flowor; h, floral diagrani. 

 Mabantack*: 2. Maranta, a, flower, piMtil removed: b, floral 

 rjiafcram. f)iicifiDAr;E*: .3. Lyca«te, a, flower; 6, column, front 

 view; c, pollinia and K'and; d, floral diagram. 4. Cypripedium, 

 1. flower; 6. column, under Bide; c. column, .side view; d, floral dia- 

 gram. (9t., fertile fstamen; tier., Htc'rilc atamcn; stia., atigma; g, 

 jrtand; p., piMtil). 



di.se of commerce, (lalaugal, used in perfumery, is the 

 rootstock of Alpinid (IdUiiiijii of the VaxsI Indies. 



Se\-eral genera are in cultivation in America, mostly 

 grown for ornamental purposes in greenhou.ses and 

 principally in the South. Among these are: Alpinia 

 (Shell Flower); .\momum; Curcuma (Curcuma, Tur- 

 meric); l'Uettari;i (commercial Cardiunoii seeds); He- 

 d.\('hiun\ (Uuttcrlly Lily, (Jinger Lily, Cariand Lily); 

 Ka;mpferia; Zingiber (Ciingcr). 



44. Cannacese (from the genus Canna, the origin of 

 the name not clear), C.\nn.\ Family. F'ig. 13. .Similar 

 to the Marantacea' in all l)ut the following structural 

 details: no joint nor ligule at summit of jictiole; ovules 

 many in each cell of the ov;iry; embryo straight. 



This family contains a single genus and 25-50 .species 

 of tropical and subtropical America. 



The starchy rhizome of C. edulis is grown and eaten 

 in the West Indies and .\ustralia. The arrowroot 

 starch of the English and French is derived from C. 

 cocrinra of the West Indies and .South America, The 

 cannas arc popular ornamental garden plants. 



4>'5. Marantaceae (from the genus Maranta, named 

 for Maranti, a Venetian botanist and physician of the 

 16th century). AitRoWKOOT Family. P"ig. 13. Herbswith 

 rhizomes: knives mostly basal, with an articulation at 

 the sununit of the petiole; blade linear to oval, pinnately 

 Iiarallel-veined : inflorescence usually surrouniied by 

 spathe-like bracts; flowers bisexual, irregular, epigynous; 

 l^erianth of (i parts, plainly tlifferentiated into calyx and 

 I'orolla, the latter .somewhat irregular; one stamen of the 

 inner set fertile, petaloid, with later.al anther, the two 

 others of the inner whorl transformed into enlarged 

 staininodia; usually 1 or 2 of the outer whorl also 

 present as petaloid staminodia; ovary inferior, 3-celled, 

 rarely 1-2-celled; ovule 1 in each cell; .style flat and 

 twisted or lobed: fruit a capsule or berry; seeds with 

 perisperm, and aril; embryo curved, 



Marantacea; has 12 genera and about 160 species, of 

 damp situations in the tropics, mostly American. The 

 largest genus is Calathea with 60 species. The family 

 is related to the Cannacea', Zingiberace», and Musa- 

 cea>. The joint at the summit of the petiole, the type 

 of stamen-irregularity, the 1-seeded cells of the ovary, 

 and the curved embryo are distinctive. 



The rhizome of Maranta nrundinacen is cultivated in 

 ( Topical America, and furnishes themaranta arrowroot of 

 commerce; rhizomes of some other species are eaten. 

 Many species are ornamental, mostly for con.servatory. 



li'ive or C genera are in cultivation in America, as 

 Calathea (Rattlesnake Plant); Maranta; Phrynium; 

 Stromanthe; Thalia. 



Order 21. Microsperhle 



46. Orchidaceae (from the genus Orchis, an ancient 

 nameofthe.se plants). Orchid P'amily. Fig. 13. Her- 

 baceous plants of very diverse habit and structure; ter- 

 restrial, epiphytic or saprophytic, sometimes climbing; 

 the terrestrial with fibrous roots or with thickened tuber- 

 like roots, the epiphytic often with the base of the leaf 

 and adjoining stem swollen, forming a pseudobulb; the 

 siipropl lyt ic without chlorophyll ; the epiphytic of ten with 

 aerial hanging roots are providetl wil-h a water-absorb- 

 ing layer (velamen) : leaves alternate, succulent, coria- 

 ceous or membranous, linear to oval: flowers bisexual, 

 rarely uni.sexual, irregular, ei)igynous; perianth of 6 

 parts, in 2 series, usually all petaloid; one petal larger, 

 foniiing the lip (l.abellum); stamens originally 6, but all 

 except 1 or 2 wanting, or reduced to staminodia, united 

 with the jiistil; pollen-grains compound, granular, or 

 aggregated into masses (pollinia) which arc either free 

 in the anther or at tached by a stalk to a viscid apical or 

 stigmatic gland; carpels 3; ov.ary inferior, 1- or 3-celled; 

 ovules very mimeroiis; styk^ united with tlie stamens to 

 form the column; stigma in the front of the column, or 

 on a projecting lob(^: fruit a capsule; seeds very minute. 



