SOME IMPORTANT FAMILIES OF ANGIOSPERMS 297 



are all herbaceous plants. Besides the cereal grains and the 

 sugar cane, sorghum, and broom com, the grasses of most 

 practical interest to us are the numerous species which, like 

 timothy and blue grass, are used as forage plants, either for 

 pasturage or for hay. The value of grasses for forage pur- 

 poses depends largely upon the fact that the individual plants 

 grow together in large numbers, so that a single species, or 

 two or more species growing together, may cover large areas. 

 Some, such as the common quack-grass, are annoying weeds. 

 An oil obtained from the roots of vetiver (cuscus grass) is 

 used in making perfumes. The tall, tree-like bamboos 

 (see § 215) have more or less woody stems. 



301. The Sedge Family. — The sedges are much like 

 grasses in general appearance and in most of their char- 

 acteristics. Their fruits are nut-like, each containing a 

 single seed ; the embryo lies at the base of the seed, instead 

 of at one side as in a grass seed, and is entirely surrounded 

 by endosperm. The stems are usually three-sided and solid, 

 and the leaves are arranged in three rows. Among the 

 members of the family are some of the " rushes," the orna- 

 mental " umbrella plant," and the papyrus, whose pith was 

 used in ancient times in the manufacture of paper. 



302. The Palm Family. — The palms differ from the great 

 majority of monocotyledons in the fact that the stems of 

 most of them become woody. Most members of the family 

 are trees, each bearing a crown of large leaves at its top. 

 Some, like the rattan palms, are woody climbing plants. The 

 fruits of palms are either stone fruits (like the coconut) or 

 berries (like the date). The endosperm is often hard and 

 horn-like ; the endosperm of the coconut, however, consists 

 of most of the edible " meat " and the milk. The hard part 

 of the fruit of the date palm is endosperm, and " vegetable 

 ivory " is made from the endosperm of another palm. 

 Many of the palms are of great practical value to the inhabi- 

 tants of the warm countries in which they live. The pith 



