BOTAN MZ. 83 
Plants of this order are highly important. The Banana fruit, which con- 
stitutes the chief food of certain inhabitants of tropical climates, is obtained 
from Musa sapientum and M. cavendishii. M. paradisaica furnishes the plan- 
tain; M. textilis yields a fine textile fibre. 
Pl. 58, 59, fig. 5, Musa paradisaica ; a-e, various parts of the plant; f, 
cross-section of the ovary ; g, ripe fruit ; /, cross-section of ditto. 
OrverR 33. Marantracres®, the itll Family. Perianth superior, 
in two whorls; outer (calyx) three-lobed, short ; inner (corolla) tubular, 
elongated, three-parted, segments nearly equal. Stamens in two whorls ; 
outer sterile, petaloid, irregular, resembling a tubular trifid corolla, with one 
of the lateral segments dffferent from the others; inner petaloid, two sterile, 
and one lateral fertile; filament of the latter petaloid, entire or two-lobed ; 
anther on the margin of the filament, one-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. 
Ovary three-celled, rarely one-celled; ovules solitary and erect, or numerous 
and attached to the axis, style petaloid or swollen; stigma either the naked 
apex of the style, or hollow, hooded, and incurved. Fruit a three-celled 
capsule, or baccate, one-celled and one-seeded. Seeds round, without 
arillus ; embryo straight, in hard, somewhat floury albumen, without a 
vitellus ; radicle lying against the hilum. Herbaceous plants, with tuberous 
rhizomes, and leaves and flowers similar to those of the Ginger family. 
They are natives of tropical regions. There are six genera, including 160 
species. Examples: Maranta, Canna, Phrynium. 
The West Indian arrow-root is obtained from the tuberous roots of 
Maranta arundinacea. The seeds of Canna indica are known as Indian 
shot. 
Orver 34. ZINGIBERACE® or ScITAMINE, the Ginger Family. Perianth 
superior, in two whorls; outer (calyx) tubular, three-lobed, short; inner 
(corolla) tubular, elongated, three-parted, segments nearly equal. Stamens 
in two whorls; outer sterile, petaloid, havmg the appearance of a three- 
parted corolline whorl, with the intermediate segment (labellum) larger than 
the rest, and often three-lobed, sometimes the lateral segments are incon- 
spicuous or nearly abortive; inner stamens three, the two lateral being 
abortive, the intermediate one opposite the labellum, fertile ; filament not 
_petaloid, often prolonged beyond the anther; anther two-celled, dehiscing 
longitudinally. Ovary three-celled, or imperfectly so; ovules several, anatro- 
pal, attached to a placenta in the axis: style filiform; stigma. dilated, hollow. 
Fruit usually a three-celled capsule, sometimes baccate. Seeds roundish or 
angular, sometimes with an arillus; embryo inclosed in a vitellus (the re- 
mains of: the embryo-sac), surrounded by farinaceous albumen, which is de- 
ficient near the hilum. Herbs, with a creeping rhizome, and simple sheathing 
leaves, having parallel veins proceeding from the midrib to the margin. The 
flowers arise from membranous spathaceous bracts. Natives of tropical coun- 
tries. Twenty-nine genera and 247 species. Examples: Zingiber, Curcuma, 
Amomum, Hedychium, Renealmia. 
The ginger of commerce is derived from the rhizomes of Zingiber 
officinale growing in the East and West Indies. Preserved ginger consists 
of the younger rhizomata. Curcuma longa and zedoaria furnish turmeric, a 
83 
