AM0HALE8.] M \l;\M-.« !-.!.. 



ii,, perianth ol Canna oulj the most extcnial part witliiu tin 



be called corolla; die remainder of tli enta being attempt 



petaloid stamens analogous to what is calli d the inner limb of the corolla 



and ill" characfa vhicb botanista found their specific 



the degn •■ to which thifl developmi at of petaloid abortive Btan ada. U I 



instance, they .1. scribe Borne as having an inner limb of - or of :;, or of i 



ments, the> Bhould rather saj 2,3, l,or 5 Btamens are partially .1. v< loj* d. 



Perhaps it will I"- possible to put die relative structure <>t G 

 In a dearer light by the following diagrams, in which the triangle * - " - * i 

 the calyx, the angles corresponding with 1 1 >« - position of the sepals ; the triangle !'. P, P 

 the corolla ; !:. . an outer series of petaloid stamens, of which r, r are rudimentary 

 only ; and S, f,< the inner em ri< a of stamens, of which - is the fertile and fully di 



one. 



OINGERWORT8. M.\H\- I 3 



The greater part are found in tropical America and Africa ; several are nath 

 India ; none arc known in a wild state beyond the tropics. 



While Gingerworts are valued for their aromatic heating principle, the Marants are 

 esteemed on account of the fsecula, which abounds in the rhizome and root of l>"th tribes, 

 thet ringerworts being destitute of that principle : on this account it is collected as a delicate 

 article of food, both from Maranta arundinacea, Allouyia, and i n >t >i 1 is, in the W < st Indies, 

 and also from Maranta ramosissima in the Bast The fleshy conns of some ('anna.-. 

 are reported to be eaten in Peru, and a sort of Arrow-root called tous lea oiois is ex- 

 tracted in the W i sf Indies from some ^| ecies supposed to be C. Achiras. Th 

 others, called Indian s-lu >t , have been used as a substitute for Coffi ■ ■, and yii li a purple 

 dye. A tough fibre is obtained from Phrynium dichotomum ; and the leaves of the 

 South American Calatheas are worked into baskets, whence their name. The ju 

 Maranta arundinacea is said to be efficacious in poisoned wounds ; it is acrid when 

 reddening the skin, and exciting saliva when chewed. The tubersof Maranta All 

 cooked with pepper and salt, are eaten in the West Indies. Martius says tliat the tubers 

 of '.'anna aurantiaca, glauca, and others, arc diuretic and diaphoretic, and an 

 unlike i Irris-root in action. 



Thalia, Linn. 



r. ronia, !>('. 

 Maranta, Plum. 

 rinwi um, WiUd. 



GENERA. 



Phytlodes, Loureir. 



Calathea, (.'. /■'. II. M 



. v 

 Uyroama, Linn.jil. 



< aim s, 



.Ni MBERS. <il N. H. Sp. I 



Ml. 



Position.— Zingiberacew. — M irantack.k. 







\ i >i >i nos \ • \ 



Cauu . 



Stromautho S 



