File:The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; (1902) (14579112670).jpg

Identifier: naturalhistoryof02kern (find matches)
Title: The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution;
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Kerner von Marilaun, Anton, 1831-1898 Oliver, Francis Wall, 1864- Macdonald, Mary Frances Ewart Busk, Marian Balfour, Lady
Subjects: Botany
Publisher: London, Blackie
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

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roecium, often com-bined with a production of petaloid staminodes. The ovary is inferior, and usually3-celled, and the seeds, which are often inclosed in arils, have perisperm. Theflowers are zygomorphic, or destitute of any sort of symmetry. As a whole thisalliance is one of the most remarkable amongst the Monocotyledons. Musacece.—The flowers of this family agree most nearly with those of typicalMonocotyledons. Of the six stamens one only is absent or developed as a stami-node. The flowers are zygomorphic. They include Musa sapientum (the Banana)and M. paradisiaca (the Plantain), widely cultivated for their fruits; Strelitzia,a remarkable South African genus, and Ravenala Madagascariensis, the TravellersTree, so named from the water which accumulates in the excavated sheaths of theleaf-stalks. This plant attains a height of 10 metres, and has a remarkable appear-ance (cf. fig. 417) owing to the fact that its huge leaves (amongst the largest in the ANGIOSPERMyE. MONOCOTVLEDONES. 85
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Fig 417 —Ihe Tiavellei s Tree (RaieTiala JItadagascanemts) After a dla^\lIlg lo St.Ileii) 736 THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. vegetable kingdom) are borne in one plane. The fruits are large capsules, and theseeds are inclosed in arils with blue metallic lustre. Zingiberacece.—One stamen, the posterior of the inner whorl, alone is fertile.The two others of this whorl are joined together to form a petaloid structure—thelabellum. Here are included the Ginger (Zingiber), Alpinia (fig. 283 ^ p. 289), andHedychiiiTTi, cultivated for the beauty of its flowers; also Globba and 31antisia (theOpera Girl) with flowers altogether remarkable; M. saltatoria presents some resem-blance to a ballet-dancer, hence the name. Cannacece.—Flowers altogether asymmetrical. The fertile stamen possessesonly a half-anther and several petaloid staminodes are present forming the mostconspicuous portion of the flower. Canna indica, the Indian-shot, and other speciesare much cultivated, and have g

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