325 
placed opposite the labellum or anterior division of the inner series of the 
corolla, and proceeds from the base of the posterior outer division ; while the 
sterile stamens, when they exist, are stationed right and left of the labellum. 
But in Marantacese the fertile stamen is on one side of the labellum, occupy- 
ing the place of one of the lateral sterile stamens of Zingiberacese. This 
peculiarity of arrangement indicates a higher degree of irregularity in Maran- 
tacese than in Zingiberaceae, which also extends to the other parts of the 
flower. The suppression of parts takes place in the latter in a symmetrical 
manner ; the two posterior divisions of the inner series of the perianthium, 
which are occasionally absent, corresponding with the abortion of the two 
anterior stamens. In Marantaceae, on the contrary, the suppression of organs 
takes place with so much irregularity, that the relation which the various 
parts bear to each other is not always apparent : instead of the central sta- 
men being perfect while the two lateral ones are abortive, as in Zingiberaceae 
and most Orchidaceae, or of the central stamen being abortive and the two 
lateral ones perfect, as in some Orchidaceae, it is the central and one lateral 
one 'that are suppressed in Marantaceae. In the perianthium of Ganna only 
the most external within the calyx can properly be called corolla ; the 
remainder of the segments being attempts to produce barren petaloid stamens 
analogous to what is called the inner limb of the corolla in Zingiberaceae ; 
and the characters upon which botanists found their specific distinctions 
depend upon the degree to which this developement of petaloid abortive sta- 
mens extends. When, for instance, they describe some as having an inner 
limb of 2 or of 3, or of 4 or of 5 segments, they should rather say 2, 3, 4, 
or 5 stamens are partially developed. For remarks upon the proof thus 
aflbrded of the affinity of Zingiberaceae and Marantaceae to Musaceae, see the 
]Pormer order. 
Perhaps it wiU be possible to put the relative structure of Zingiberaceae 
and Marantaceae in a clearer light by the following diagrams, in which the 
triangle C, C, C represents the calyx, the angles corresponding with the 
position of the sepals ; the triangle P, P, P the corolla ; R, r, r an outer 
series of petaloid stamens, of which r, r are rudimentary only ; and S, s, s 
the inner series of stamens, of which S is the fertile and fully developed 
one. 
ZINGIBERACEAE. 
P 
