PHANEROGAMS. 



absent, but replaced by a copious perisperm. Usually handsome, often very large 

 (i) leafy shrubby plants springing from a persistent rhizome, with large leaves, 

 generally divided into a broad lamina, leaf-stalk, and sheath. 



Families: i. Musaceae. ^ 



2. Zingiberaceae. 



3. Cannacese. 



Order 10. Gynandrse. The entire flower zygomorphic in origin and de- 

 velopment; by the torsion of the long inferior ovary (i) the anterior side of the 

 mature flower usually becomes posterior ; both of the trimerous perianth- whorls 

 petaloid, the posterior leaf of the inner one (the labellum) generally provided 

 with a spur ; of the six typical stamens of the two w^horls only the anterior ones 

 are eventually developed, and in (i) (with the exception of Cypripedium) the 

 anterior one of the outer w^horl is alone fertile and has large anthers, the two 

 anterior ones of the inner whorl forming small staminodes ; but in Cypripedium it 

 is these latter that are fertile, the anterior one of the outer whorl forming a large 

 staminode; in fa) the same occurs, or the three anterior ones are fertile; filaments 

 of the fertile and sterile stamens coherent with the three styles into a gynostemium ; 

 pollen in single grains, tetrahedra, masses, or poUinia ; ovary inferior and unilocular 

 with parietal placentation (i) or trilocular wnth axile placentation (2); ovules 

 anatropous; seeds very numerous, very small, without endosperm and with the 

 embryo undifferentiated. Small herbs or larger shrubby plants; the tropical 

 Orchide£e often epiphytal and furnished wnth peculiar aerial roots; our native 

 species perennial with underground rhizomes or tubers ; some Orchidese are sapro- 

 phytes destitute of chlorophyll, and a few have even no roots (Epipogium, Coral- 

 lorhiza). 



Families: i. Orchideac. 



2. ApostasiacesE. 



The Burmanniacess with cymose inflorescence, three or six fertile epipetalous 

 stamens, free tripartite style, and uni- or tri-locular inferior ovary, are allied to the 

 Gynandrae by their small seeds without endosperm and their undifferentiated embryo ; 

 and in this order, which consists for the most part of small plants, there are some 

 saprophytes destitute of chlorophyll. 



CLASS xni. 

 DICOTYLEDONS. 



The ripe Seed of Dicotyledons contains either a large endosperm and a small 

 embryo (as in Euphorbiaceae, Coffea, Myristica, Umbelliferae, Ampelideae, Polygon- 

 aceae, Caesalpineae, &c.) ; or the embryo is comparatively large, and the endosperm 

 occupies but a small space {e. g. Plumbaginese, Labiatae, Asclepiadeae, &c.) ; or, 

 thirdly, the endosperm is entirely wanting, and the embryo fills up the whole of the 



