392 



BOTANY 



inferior ovary. A single species (Dioscorea villosa) is common .in the eastern 

 United States. D. batatas is the common Yam. 



Fams. 6, 7. Taccaceae, Hsemodoraceae. The Taccacese and Hsemodoraceae 

 are small families without any common representatives. 



Order VIII. Farinosae 



The Farinosse comprise several families, some of which are often included 

 with the Liliiflorese. They are distinguished especially by the character of the 



FIG. 3ffI. Hippeastrumvittatum(x$). (After BAILEY.) 



endosperm, which is copious, and mealy in consistence. The ovules are often 

 orthotropous, and the stamens sometimes reduced in number. They are largely 

 tropical in their distribution. The most familiar genus is Tradescantia (Fig. 369), 

 belonging to the Commelinacese. Pontederia and Tillandsia represent the 

 Pontederiacese and Bromeliacese. The other families represented in the United 

 States are Mayacacese, Xyridaceae, and Eriocaulacese. 



Pontederiaceae. These are aquatic plants, mostly confined to the Tropics. 

 Pontederia cordata, the Pickerel- weed (Fig. 370), is our only common represent- 

 ative. The Water-hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is now commonly planted in 



