ANGIOSPERM^E 



395 



Cannaceae. In the familiar genus Canna (Fig. 372), which is the only genus 

 of the Cannacese, and very common in our gardens, five of the stamens are 

 changed into petaloid staminodia, which form the showy part of the flower, the 

 perianth being quite inconspicuous. The sixth stamen is also petaloid, but upon 

 one side it develops pollen. A single species of Canna, C. flaccida, occurs 

 native in Florida. 



Marantaceae. The Marantacese are principally confined to the American 

 Tropics, and include a number of showy-leaved forms cultivated in greenhouses. 



Bst 1 



car 



FIG. 372. A-F, Canna Indica. A, upper part of flowering shoot, much reduced. 

 B, flower, showing the staminodia, st, and fertile stamen, st 1 ; car, style with 

 stigma. C, fertile stamen and pistil. D, section of ovary, enlarged. E, nearly 

 ripe capsule. F, section of seed, enlarged ; em, embryo ; p, perisperm. G, Zingi- 

 ber officinalis. (After BERG and SCHMIDT.) 



The structure of the flowers is much like that of Canna. Maranta arundinacea 

 furnishes Arrow-root. 



Economically, the genus Musa holds the first rank among the Scitaminese. 

 The Plantain (M. paradisiaca) and Banana (P. sapientwri) are among the most 

 important of food-plants, and M. textilis furnishes Manila hemp. 



Order X. Microspermae 



The Microspermse, the most specialized of the Monocotyledons, are also the 

 most numerous, the number of described species exceeding five thousand. Nev- 

 ertheless, they are seldom common plants, and in spite of the extraordinary de- 

 vices especially developed for insect-pollination, they do not appear to have been 

 remarkably successful in the struggle for existence. There are two suborders, 



