[FAMILY 4.] GNETACEAE
Stem woody. Juice not resinous. Leaves opposite, undivided. Flowers in spikes or panicles or the female solitary, unisexual, but the male sometimes with rudimentary ovules. Perianth of the male flowers tubular or 2-4-parted, of the female bladder-like. Stamens 2-8. Ovule 1, erect, straight. Embryo with 2 cotyledons.—Genera 3 species 8. North and Central Africa.
1. Stem turnip-shaped, very short. Leaves 2, very large, sessile, linear, with
parallel nerves. Flowers in panicled spikes; the male consisting of
a 4-partite perianth, 6 stamens with 3-celled anthers, and a rudimentary ovule. Ovule with a single coat.—Species 1; German South-west
Africa and Angola. (Tumboa Welw.) [Subfamily WELWITSCHIOIDEAE.] Welwitschia Hook. fil.
Stem shrubby or twining. Leaves numerous, not very large. Male flowers consisting of a 2-partite or a tubular, undivided perianth and
2-8 stamens with 1-2-celled anthers, without rudimentary ovules, but sometimes accompanied by sterile female flowers. 2
2. Leaves large, with a short foot-stalk, lanceolate oblong elliptical or oval, penninerved. Stem climbing. Flowers in spikes or panicles, the male consisting of a tubular, undivided perianth and 2 stamens with 1-celled anthers. Ovule with two coats.—Species 2. West Africa. The young leaves are used as a vegetable. [Subfamily GNETOIDEAE.] Gnetum L.
Leaves scale-like. Male flowers in spikes or panicles, female solitary or in pairs. Male flowers consisting of a 2-partite perianth and 2-8 stamens with 2-celled anthers. Ovule with a single coat exceeding the perianth.—Species 5. North Africa and northern Central Africa.
The fruits of some species are eaten or used in medicine. [Subfamily
EPHEDROIDEAE.] Ephedra L.
SUBDIVISION ANGIOSPERMAE
CLASS IV. MONOCOTYLEDONEAE
ORDER PANDANALES
[FAMILY 5.] TYPHACEAE
Aquatic or marsh herbs with a creeping root-stock and simple stems. Leaves in two ranks, linear. Inflorescences spadix-like, cylindrical, superposed, interrupted by bracts, the lower female, the upper male. Flowers unisexual, without a perianth, but usually surrounded by hairs. Stamens 2-7; connective thickened; anthers opening lengthwise by two slits. Ovary 1-celled. Ovule 1, pendulous, inverted. Style and stigma simple. Fruit tardily dehiscent. Seed with abundant albumen and a long, axile embryo.
Genus 1, species 4. They are used as ornamental plants and in medicine, and yield potash and also materials for plaiting and stuffing and for the manufacture of paper and felt. The root-stock and the pollen are edible. “Reedmace.” Typha Tourn.
PANDANACEAE.