THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS— XXV. 
Order 9 — Scitaminales. 
T T may be doubted whether the average lover of flowers 
is aware that an entire order intervenes between the 
lilies and orchids, but such is the case. This order has no 
representatives among our Northern flowers and is usually 
passed over in our text-books with h'ttle or no nicntiou. In 
the tropics, however, it is of great imp(irtance. as may be sur- 
mised when it is known that the banana, gin.^er and arrow- 
rof,t belong to it. The t)rder shows very plainly its advance 
over the Liliales, in its zygomorphic flowers, and under- 
ground rootstocks and foreshadows the flower-structure in 
the Orchidales by the redaction in the number of >tanien? 
and the dift'crcniiation of die perianth into cal}-x and corolja. 
Practically all the plants of this order are perennial 
lierl)s patterned very much after the form of our common 
Solomon's seal. There is a thick knotted imderground 
rootstock from which aerial branches rise. These aerial 
branches are usually short and bear inunerous broad leaves, 
which are often arranged in two rows, necessitating the 
placing of one leaf directly above another on each side of 
the stem. The inflorescence is terminal and consists of num- 
erous flowers, subtending which large spathe-like bracts are 
noticeable. An excellent example of such bracts may l)e 
found upon the banana plants in almost an}- large green- 
house: for the type of a slightly dift'erent flower arrange- 
nient one may investigate the canna. 
The flowers are all zygomorphic and usually highly 
colored. There are two whorls in the perianth and in most 
cases tlie sepal whorl and the petal whorl are distinguished 
by flifferent colors, yormally there should l>e six stamens, 
but this number is rarely found. In the banana family 
there are often five fertile stamens, but in the other fam- 
