376 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



astringent, many yield starch, and some colouring-matters. Ginger is the 

 rhizome of Zingiber offidnale : preserved ginger is made from the younger 

 parts of the rhizomes. Cardamom seeds are obtained from Amomum 

 Cardamomum (Round Cardamoms), A. angustifolium (Madagascar Car- 

 damoms), A. maximum, A. aromaticum, Elettaria major (Ceylon), and E. 

 Cardamomum (Malabar). Turmeric consists of the yellow-coloured rhi- 

 zomes of Curcuma lonf/a ; the starchy rhizomes of some East-Indian 

 species of Curcuma furnish Arrow-root. Galangale-root, which has pro- 

 perties resembling those of Ginger, consists of the rhizomes of Aljnnia 

 Galanga and racemosa ; Zedoary, of those of Curcuma Zedoaria and 

 Zerumhet. Amomum Grana Paradisi yields the Grains of Paradise, used 

 as stimulants, and also for giving pungency to spirits and beer. Many of 

 the species have very beautiful blossoms, and are cultivated in stoves on 

 that account. The bright colouring is found sometimes in the bracts, 

 sometimes in the perianth, as in Hedychium coronarium. 



MAKANTACE^E. THE ARROWROOT ORDER. 

 Coh. Amomales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Herbaceous plants with creeping rhizomes, resembling 

 ZingiberaceEe in habit, but with the perianth more irregular, and the 

 inner segments often abortive ; of the 6 stamens 5 are petaloid, and 

 1 lateral fertile 2-lpbed, with a 1- (2 ?)-celled anther on one of its 

 lobes; ovary inferior, 1-3-celled, with numerous perispermic seeds; 

 embryo not enclosed in any special sac. Illustrative Genera : Maranta, 

 Plum. ; Canna, L. 



Affinities, &c. The affinities of this Order, often called Cannaceae, are 

 those of Zingiberaceae, from which this Order is separated by the place of 

 its fertile stamen (lateral) and by the absence of a vitellus or special sac 







Diagrams of the flowers of Marantaceae (M), Zingiberacese (Z), and Orchidacefe (0). The 

 small open circles are fertile stamens ; the black dots abortive stamens ; the black dots 

 with the broad line scored through are petaloid stamens. The X indicates the position 

 of the axis, the bract being exactly opposite. 



round the embyro. If we assume the Orchidaceaa, as mentioned under 

 that Order, to have the rudiments of a double series of stamens, the rela- 

 tions of Orchidaceas, Zingiberaceaa, and Marantaeeaa are very close, and 

 yet their distinctions very clear (fig. 4(36). 



