296 PHYLUM XIV. ANTHOPHYTA 



stem, commonly diclinous (i.e. stamens and pistils in 

 separate flowers, monoecious or dioecious) usually sub- 

 tended by a colored leaf (spathe). Each flower is like a 

 very small lily, but it is very short verti- 

 cally, and relatively thick ("squatty"). 

 The short stamens are usually six, and 

 the very short-styled pistil is 3-cclled (or 

 FiG^ i68"^^aiia 1-celled). The perianth lobes are short, 

 pistil (loE).^'"' thick and fleshy or wanting. Through- 

 out the order (which is largely tropical) 

 there is a marked tendency toward fleshiness both as to 

 the plant body (always herbaceous) and the flowers. 



538. Palms (Palmales). This order of woody trees 

 and coriaceous leaves has small flowers resembling those 

 of the Lilies, but with the parts usually harder and more 

 parchment-like in texture. In the Coconut the flowers 

 are separated (diclinous), one kind having functional 

 stamens (staminate), and the other a functional pistil 

 (pistillate) . The staminate flower has a perianth of two 

 ternate whorls, the outer (sepals) shorter than the 

 inner (petals). The stamens are six in two whorls, and 

 there is a small, tricarpellary functionless pistil. The 

 pistillate flower is much larger, and 

 has a perianth of two ternate whorls, 

 the sepals and petals being similar to 

 each other. There are no stamens. 

 The large pistil is tricarpellary and 

 should contain a seed in each of the 

 carpels, but two seeds are always ^'°- ^''Vocos" '^°""' 

 suppressed and their carpellary cavi- 

 ties are crushed by the growth of the third large 

 seed. The fruit has much the structure of a plum; 

 in which the inner part of the ovary wall becomes 

 stony (sclerenchyma), while the outer part remains 



