NATTTRAL ORDERS, 
28^ 
branching. Leaves^ inflorescence^ and flowers as m Zingibera- 
cese. Stamens 3, petaloid, one of the laterals and the internie- 
diate one sterile, and one lateral fertile ; filament entire, or 2- 
lobed; anther on the margin of the filament. Ovary 1-3- 
celled ; ovules solitary, erect, or numerous, and attached to the 
axis of each cell ; style petaloid, or swollen ; stigm.a the naked 
apex of the style, or hollow, h 3oded, and incurved. Fruit cap- 
sular. Seeds round ; embryo straight, in hard, somewhat floury 
albumen. (See Plate III., Fig. 4.) 
a. Properties : the roots or rhizomes abound in starch. 
Genera. — Thalia, Canna. 
543. Mtjsaoe^, tJie Banana Trihe. — Stemless or nearly stem- 
stem, often very large, with fine parallel veins at right-angles 
with the midrib. Flowers spathaceous. Perianth adherent, 6- 
parted, petaloid, more or less irregular, in 2 whorls. Stamens 
6, inserted on the middle of the divisions of the perianth. 
Ovary inferior, 3-celled ; ovules numerous ; style simple ; stigma 
8-lobed. Fruit capsular or succulent. Seeds sometimes sur- 
rounded by hairs ; testa usually crustaceous ; embryo erect in 
the axis of mealy albumen. (See Plate L, Fig. 4.) 
a. Properties : valuable for the abundance of nutritive food afforded by the fruit, 
and for the many domestrc purposes to which th3 leaves of some species are ap- 
plied. 
Genera. — Musa. 
544. Amaryllidace^, the Amaryllis Tribe. — Bulbous plants ; 
7'oots sometimes fibrous. Leames sessile, elongated, alternate, 
radical leaves sheathing. Flowers with spathas ; panicled, 
corymbed, or solitary. Perianth 6-parted. Stamens 6, insert- 
ed into the tube of the perianth ; anthers introrse. Ovary 3- 
eelled ; style 1 ; stigma simple or 3-parted. Fruit a 3-celled, 
3-valved capsule, or berry. Seeds with a fleshy albumen ; em- 
bryo nearly straight. This family has been divided into 4 tribes, 
or sub-orders : 1, Amaryllae, bulbs, flowers without a corona; 
2, Karcissse, bulbs, flowers with a corona; 3, Alstromeriee, 
fibrous roots, sepals different in form from the petals ; 4, Aga- 
vese, roots fibrous ; sepals and petals alike. (See Plate vl., 
a. Properties . the bulbs of many species have narcotic poisonous qualities. 
Genera. — 1. Amaryll^e — Galanthus, Amaryllis, Crinum. 2. NARCisSiK — Pancra 
tium, Narcissus, Hypoxis. 3. Agaves — Agave. 
545. Bromeliaceje, the Pine-apple Tribe. — Stemless or short- 
stemmed plants. LeoA^es radical, ensiform, channeled, often 
covered with scales, and spiny at the edge or point. Periamih 
tubular, 6-parted, in 2 whorls. Calyx persistent, more or less 
adherent to the ovary. Petals 3, colored, withering or decidu- 
13 
less plants. Leaves 
forming a* spurious 
Fig. 2.) 
