GROUP IV. PHANEROGAMIA : ANGIOSPERMJ! : MONOCOTYLEDONES. 561 



The flowers are $. They are tropical herbs, and the leaves which 

 spring from the subterranean rhizome have reticulate venation. 



Order 3. BKOMELIACE^E. K3, 03, A3 + 3, G (3). The ovary is 

 superior, inferior, or semi-inferior, trilocular, with many seeds. 

 Perianth heterochlamydeous. The leaves are usually long and 

 narrow, sharply serrate ; the stem is generally very short. The 

 flowers are $ f and form spikes or panicles with bracts. 



The fruit is a berry, and the berries of 



Ananas sativa is the Pine-apple, 

 each inflorescence coalesce into 

 a spurious fruit (somsis), above 

 which the axis of the inflorescence 

 extends and bears a crown of leaves 

 (Fig. 365; see p. 528). In a state 

 of cultivation the berries contain 

 no seeds. It is a native of America, 

 and is cultivated in all warm coun- 

 tries and in bot-houses. 



Cohort 3. Amomales 

 (Scitamineae). The flowers 

 are irregular, zygomorphic or 

 asymmetrical : general for- 

 mula, ^ K3, 03, .43 + 3, G-0,, 

 occasionally with a great 

 reduction in the andrcecium. 

 Perianth wholly petaloid, or 

 clearly heterochlamydeous : 

 ovary usually trilocular : 

 fruit, a capsule or a berry. 

 Usually no endosperm, but 

 abundant perisperm. They 

 are tall herbaceous plants; 

 the leaves are large and have 

 pinnate venation. 



Order 1. MUSACEJ:. ^ K3, 03, ^43 + 2 f 1 or 0, M. Flower 

 dorsiventral ; the anterior external member of the petaloid perianth 

 is usually very large, and the posterior always very small. In the 

 family Museae the odd sepal is anterior ; the sepals are usually free, 

 as are also the petals in Ravenala ; but in Strelitzia the two lateral 

 petals are connate, and in Musa the five anterior members of the 

 perianth are connate, forming a tube which is open posteriorly : 

 the posterior stamen is sterile or absent, and the others are not 

 always fertile. The flower of the family Heliconieae differs from 



FIG. 365. Fruit of the Pice-apple (reduced). 



