cannacejE. (canna family.) 465 



Order 143. CANIVACE^. (Canna Family.) 



Perennial herbs, destitute of aroma, with alternate sheathing leaves, 

 the very numerous nerves parallel, and diverging from the strong midrib, 

 and superior irregular monandrous flowers. Sepals 3. Corolla 6-parted; 

 the three exterior divisions alike ; the three interior ones very unequal, 

 and often variously imperfect. Stamen and stigma mostly petal-like. 

 Anther 1-celled. Ovary 1 - 3-celled, with 1 - many anatropous or cam- 

 pylotropous ovules. Embryo straight or hooked, in hard albumen. — Rhi- 

 zoma often tuberous, and abounding in starch. 



1. THALIA, L. 



Calyx minute. Corolla tubular ; the three exterior divisions similar and equal ; 

 the interior unequal ; the anterior one broad and hooded, the interior lateral one 

 elongated and clawed, the exterior lateral one furnished with two bristles on one 

 side, and partly adnate to the slender stamen on the other. Style thick, spiral : 

 stigma perforated, 2-lipped, the lower lip long and pendent. Capsule utricular, 

 1-celled, 1-seeded. Seed ovoid, erect, campylotropous. Embryo hooked, in 

 hard albumen — Stemless herbs from fibrous roots. Scape elongated. Petioles 

 terete, dilated and sheathing at the base. Flowers in bracted panicled spikes, 

 commonly two together, and included in a 2-valved spathe. 



1. T. dealbata, Roscoe. Plant dusted over with a minute white poWder, 

 otherwise smooth ; leaves distichous, long-petioled, cordate-ovate, acute ; scape 

 terete, reed-like ; panicle erect, dense, smooth, the branches not longer than the 

 lanceolate deciduous bracts at their base ; spikes erect ; valves of the spathe 

 unequal, ovate, coriaceous ; flowers small, purple, — Ponds and marshes, South 

 Carolina, and westward. June -Sept. — Scape 3° -5° high. Leaves 6' -9' 

 long, on petioles l°-2° long. 



2. T. divaricata, n. sp. Plant not powdery ; leaves oblong-ovate, acute, 

 rounded at the base, long-petioled ; panicle large, divaricate, the branches much 

 longer than the linear deciduous bracts, hairy at the joints; spikes 6-10-flow- 

 ered, zigzag, pendulous ; valves of the spathe unequal, oblong, membranaceous, 

 hairy ; flowers small, purple , seed ovoid, enclosed in a loose membranaceous 

 pericarp. — Ponds, Apalachicola, Florida. Sept. and Oct. — Scape 5° - 10° 

 high. Leaves l°-2° long. Panicle 2° -4° wide, purplish. 



2. CANNA, L. Indian-Shot. 



Sepals 3. Corolla 6-parted ; the three exterior divisions equal ; the interior 

 bilabiate, with the upper lip 2 -3-parted, or sometimes wanting, the lower entire. 

 Filaments petal-like. Anther marginal. Ovary S-celled, many-ovuled. Style 

 petal-like. Stigma marginal. Capsule covered with a dense bristly coat, 

 3-celled, loculicidally 3-valved. PlacentsB central. Seeds globose, anatropous. 

 Embryo straight in horny albumen. — Stems leafy. Leaves narrowed into a 

 sheathing petiole. Flowers spiked, showy. 



