412 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. XII, No. 2, 
The Alismales and Ranales lead in the two classes, Monoco- 
tylae and Dicotylae. The Helobiae do not represent the most 
primitive leaf and stem arrangements because of numerous 
hydrophytic adaptations. These adaptations are, however, direct 
modifications of primitive types. But the flowers in the lowest 
Alisimales and Nymphaeales are by far the most primitive to be 
found among Monocotyls. However, the frequent dichotomous 
venation of certain species is very suggestive of primitive seed 
plants and ferns. The more primitive leaf and stem arrangements 
to be found among the Monocotyls are preserved in such groups as 
the palms, screw-pines and yuccas. 
Following the synopses, a complete classification is given of 
the phyla, classes and subclasses, with a slight improvement over 
the schemes published in former papers. 
Synopsis op the Subclasses and Orders or Anthophyta, 
HELOBIAE. 
Usually aquatic or marsh herbs with hypogynous or epigynous, 
actinomorphic, spiral or cyclic, bisporangiate or monosporangiate 
flowers; flowers solitary, axillary, racemose, or occasionally 
closely clustered; perianth frequently with prominent corolla, 
sometimes undifferentiated, vestigial or absent; carpels in the 
lower forms numerous and free, in the higher few and united; 
sperms in the pollengrain two. 
Synopsis. 
I. Flowers hypogynous or somewhat perigynous; carpels free or 
united, spiral or cyclic. 
1. Plants normal, with chlorophyll. 
a. Hypocotyledonary expansion, if present not lobed or 
only slightly notched; ovules usually anatropous or 
campylotropous ; leaves often narrow, not peltate 
and not with a narrow basal sinus but sometimes 
sagitate, or deeply cordate. Alismales. 
b. Hypocotyledonary expansion parted into two lobes or 
deeply notched; ovules orthotropous ; aerial or float- 
ing leaves peltate, with a deep basal sinus, or if some- 
what sagitate then with carpels numerous and 
united. Nymphaeales. 
2. Small yellowish or reddish phagophytes. Triuridales. 
II. Flowers epigynous; carpels united, cyclic. Hydrocharitales. 
SPADICIFLORAE. 
Trees, herbs, or climbing plants, usually with clustered flowers; 
the inflorescence being a crowded panicle, spike or spadix, rarely 
reduced; flowers hypogynous, often monosporangiate, the perianth 
present or absent, not definitely differentiated into calyx and 
corolla and commonly inconspicuous; carpels 4-1, usually 3, free 
or united. 
