. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. art within the calyx can properlybe called corolla ; the remainder of the segments being attempts to produce barrenpetaloid stamens analogous to what is called the mner limb of the corolla in Gingerworts ;and the characters upon which botanists found their specific distinctions depend uponthe degree to which this development of petaloid abortive stamens extends. When, formstance, they describe some as ha^ing an inner hmb of 2 or of 3, or of 4 or of 5 seg-ments, they should rath
. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. art within the calyx can properlybe called corolla ; the remainder of the segments being attempts to produce barrenpetaloid stamens analogous to what is called the mner limb of the corolla in Gingerworts ;and the characters upon which botanists found their specific distinctions depend uponthe degree to which this development of petaloid abortive stamens extends. When, formstance, they describe some as ha^ing an inner hmb of 2 or of 3, or of 4 or of 5 seg-ments, they should rather say 2, 3, 4, or 5 stamens are partially developed. Perhaps it will be possible to put the relative structm-e of Gingerworts and Marantsin a clearer light by the following diagrams, in which the triangle C, C, C representsthe calyx, the angles corresponding with the position of the sepals ; the triangle P, P, Pthe corolla ; R, r, r an outer series of petaloid stamens, of which r, r are rudimentaryonly ; and S, s, s the inner series of stamens, of which S is the fertile and fully developed GINGERWORTS. The greater part are found in tropical America and Africa ; several are natives ofIndia ; none are knoAvn m a ^\ild state beyond the tropics. While Gingerworts are valued for then* aromatic heating principle, the Marants areesteemed on account of the fsecula, which abounds in the rliizome and root of both tribes,the Gingerworts being destitute of that principle : on this account it is collected as a delicatearticle of food, both from Maianta arundinacea, Alloujda, and nobilis, in the West Indies,and also from Maranta ramosissima in the East. The fleshy corms of some Cannasare reported to be eaten in Peru, and a sort of Arrow-root called tous les mois is ex-tracted in the West Indies from some species supposed to be C. Achiras. The seeds ofothers, called Indian shot, have been used as a substitute for Coffee, and jield a purpledye. A tough fibre is obtained from Pliryni
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