MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 507 



only bearing placentae ; style incorporated 

 with the column; fruit capsular, rarely 

 fleshy, 3-6-valved, indehiscent; seeds 00. 

 Distribution universal, except in the frozen 

 zones, and in extremely dry regions. Chiefly 

 terrestial, but numerous tropical species are 

 epiphytic. The Orchidacece comprise nearly 

 400 genera, and about 3000 species. 

 3. Family. — i?urmcmma<is (Burmanniacese). Herbs; 

 leaves radical or none ; inflorescence ter- 

 minal; perianth coloured, tubular, 6-cleft, 

 the three inner being minute, and the three 

 outer larger and often keeled at the back; 

 stamens three ; anthers sessile, 2- celled ; 

 ovary 1-3-celled; ovules 00; style simple; 

 stigmas three; fruit capsular, 1-3-celled, 

 3-valved, crowned by the persistent perianth; 

 seeds 00. Occur in moist grassy spots in 

 tropical countries. 



II. ORDER. — Amomals (Amomales). 



Flowers unsymmetrical ; stamens 1-6, some being 



abortive ; seeds albuminous. 



1. Family. — Arrow-roots (Marantaceae). Herba- 

 ceous, without aroma ; rhizomes frequently 

 tuberous ; leaves simple, sheathing ; inflores- 

 cence spiked, racemose, or panicled, terminal 

 or radical ; perianth in two whorls, the outer 

 3-lobed, short, inner 3-partite, elongated ; 

 stamens in two verticils, the outer 3-fid, 

 petaloid, sterile, the inner three, petaloid, 



z 2 



