534 



A TEXTBOOK OF BOTANY 



[Ch. XIII 



uses in food or med- 

 icine, some are poi- 

 sonous, and a few 

 are cultivated for 

 their attractive 

 flower clusters, nota- 

 bly Calla and An- 

 thurium (Flamingo 

 Flower), or for their 

 luxuriant foliage as 

 in case of Monstera 

 (Fig. 378). 



In this order be- 

 long the Duckweeds 

 (Lemnacece) , very 

 tiny floating plants 

 consisting of a 

 rounded leaf-like 

 shoot bearing the 



simplest of flowers, and a pendent root (Fig. 379). One of 



these, Wolffia, is the smallest known flowering plant, being 



in all not so large as a 



medium pin head. 



Series B. The Differ- 

 entiated Monocoty- 

 ledons. 



In these the cluster is 

 subordinate to the in- 

 dividual flower, which 

 becomes large, showy, 

 and regular, with the 

 floral parts in whorls, 

 definite in number, i.e. 

 usually 3 carpels, 6 

 stamens (two whorls), 



Fig. 377. — Carludovica palmata; X tV 

 (From Le Maout and Decaisne.) 



Fig. 378. — Monstera deliciosa ; X X3 • 

 The characteristic spadices are visible. 



The plant is native to Mexico. (From Le 



Maout and Decaisne.) 



