THE CYCAS FAMILY. 



CycaddcccE. 



A small group of trees or shrubs, represented in t/ie United States by 

 two species of tJie genus Zainia, having si/nple trunks, and their growth 

 continued by means of a terminal bud. Leaves : pifinately divided, coiled 

 in the bud. Flowers : dio'cious, destitute of either j:alyx or corolla, the 

 ovules of the fertile ones being borne without ovaries. 



COONTIE. WILD SAGO. 



Zdtnia piimila. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Cycas. Spieading. Low. Florida. J^l<i-y^ J^'i''- 



Leaves ; from a short trunk, the long, grooved petioles covered with a red- 

 dish scurf. Leaflets : numerous, about five inches long, lanceolate cr linear-lance- 

 olate ; sessile; bluntly pointed at the apex ; parallel-veined ; glabrous, or slightly 

 pubescent on the under side ; usually entire. Floivers : growing in cone-like 

 aments. Seeds ; drupe-like ; oval or rounded. 



A familiar sight in the wet, otitlying grounds of sotithern Florida is 

 this plant, where it occurs as a low and spreading shrub. In its buds the 

 great leaves are coiled in much the same way as are those of ferns and very 

 gracefully they unfold while spreading their slender leaflets. By means of 

 a terminal bud the plant continues its growth, and in the young plantlet 

 it is interesting to notice that there are two cotyledons, while the hypercotyl 

 ends in a spiral cord. More simple in construction even is this genus than 

 the great one of the pines ; the little ovules also being naked and fertil- 

 ized directly by the fall of the pollen. 



Besides thoughts of beauty in its embellishment of the landscape there 

 are serious interests of commerce associated with " Coontie," as it is mostly 

 called by the people. Abounding in its stem is starch, and the arrowroot 

 of Florida which is produced from it has attained considerable renown. Un- 

 til about fifteen years ago this industry was controlled by the Seminole 

 Indians who throtigh the sales of arrowroot made quite a satisfactory rev- 

 enue in what they termed silver money. The puddings in which it is used 

 are very good, being somewhat similar to those of cornstarch. 



