Cyclanthaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Cyclanthaceae >

Read about Cyclanthaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Cyclanthaceae (from the generic name Cyclanthus, which has reference to the spiral arrangement of the flowers). Cyclanthus Family. Fig. 9. Stemless or caulescent, palm-like, somewhat woody plants, often climbing: leaves alternate, coriaceous, cleft or parted: flowers in a dense terminal unbranched spike (spadix), with several bract-like spathes beneath; staminate flowers grouped in 4 bundles accompanying the pistillate, or both in conspicuous alternating spirals; staminate perianth reduced and fimbriate, or 0; stamens 6 to many, borne in groups; perianth of the pistillate flower 0, or of 4 fleshy parts accompanied by 4 long, twisted, exerted staminodia; carpels 4, united below, sunken in the spadix; ovary 1-celled, many-ovuled, with parietal placentae: fruit multiple, a berry-like spike. The tissue of the spadix splits into valves, coiling up from the base to apex and thus inclosing the fruitlets which deliquesce. This family has 5 genera and about 50 species, of which 35 belong to Carludovica. They are confined to the tropics of America, and stand intermediate between the Palmaceae and Araceae. The family is distinguished by the combination of palm-like foliage, numerous ovules, thick spadix, and closely associated staminate and pistillate flowers. The flowers of Cyclanthus bipartitus of Brazil are vanilla-scented, cultivated, and cooked with meat as an aphrodisiac. The leaves of Carludovica palmata furnish the material for the panama hats. Several species of Carludovica are in the American trade as greenhouse plants.CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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