Scitaminae
Scitamineae is a descriptive botanical name. Historically it has been applied to
a remarkably stable group of flowering plants, now referred to as Zingiberales:
at the rank of family in the Bentham & Hooker system (volume of 1883), placed
in order Epigynae in the Monocotyledones. Scitaminae consists of four
families:- 1. Musaceae 2. Zingiberaceae 3. Cannaceae 4. Marantaceae.
1. Musaceae
Class: Monocotyledons
Order: Epigynae
The family includes 6 genera and a little over 100 species in the tropical
countries with a few in S. Africa and Madagascar
Musaceae are large herbs with a perennial rhizome, pseudostems formed by
leaf sheeths. Leaves large with thik midrib, parallel venation, flowers unisexual,
inflorescence subtended by large spathaceous bracts. Corolla 2lipped, stamens
five. Leararely trees with a woody un-branched trunk
Leaves: Leaves are large, 2-ranked or spirally arranged, pinnately veined and
with a blunt apex, having a long broad sheath and a stout, channeled petiole.
Inflorescence: terminal or axillary, a cymose panicle or a cincinnus with one
or more spathes. Axis arising from basal rhizome and growing up through
pseudostem. The flower clusters are subtended by green or colored spathes
which are often caducous.
Flowers: Unisexual (monoecious) or hermaphrodite zygomorphic, epigynous
and often showy. Male with in the upper bracts, female in clusters in lower
bracts
Perianth: segments 6 in 2 whorls, similar or distinguished into two series, free
or coherent, imbricate, greenish or coloured. Sepals 3 adnate to 2 petals,
narrowly tubular, soon splitting in to one side. Petals three somewhat 2 lipped.
Androecium: Fertile stamens five, rarely six or the sixth one is a staminode, in
2 whorls, free; anthers 2-celled, linear.
Gynoecium: Tricarpellary, syncarpus, ovary inferior, trilocular; ovules many
on axile placentation, anatropous, rarely ovule solitary in each cell and basal;
style simple; stigma capitate or lobed; nectar-secreting glands often present on
the septa.
Fruit: a berry or capsule; seeds usually with hard testa, with copious or scanty
endosperm or with perisperm only and straight embryo; endosperm or
perisperm mealy; sucker disc-or cup-shaped.
Economic Importance:
1. Banana is a staple food of many tropical countries.
2. Manila hemp or abaca obtained from fibers of M. textiles, used in making
ropes and cordage
3. Inset or Abysenian banana is cultivated for its fibers and food
4. Stem pulp and young shoots are often cooked
Musa Sp.
2. Zingiberaceae
Class: Monocotyledons
Order: Epigynae
Family consists of 46 genera and 1275 species. Perennial rhizomatus aromatic
herbs with tuberous roots, contain ethereal oils, leaves alternate, distichous,
sheathing leaf bases, flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, perianth 6 in two whorls,
fertile stamen 1, staminode 3 or 4, petaloid, two staminode forming a lip or
labellam, carpels 3 united, ovary inferior. Placentation axile. Aerial stem short,
usually leafless.
Leaves: are radical or cauline, alternate or opposite, usually distichous, with a
sheathing petiole, ligulate; midrib prominent; secondary veins parallel or
reticulate.
Inflorescence: Usually surrounded by involucre, (geanthus), or without
involucre (Amomum), a dense spicate head, or cyme or paniculate (Elettaria)
Flowers: hermaphrodite in racemes or spikes, axillary or terminal, often on a
distinct scape, rarely corymbose, strongly zygomorphic, subtended by one or
more bracts or spathes
Perianth: differentiated into sepals and petals. Sepals 3. Petals 3, united below
in a tube . Posterior petals often enlarge.
Androecium: 2 whorls of stamen and staminodes; only one stamen of the
inner whorl is fertile, other 2 of the same whorl and all 3 of the outerwhorl are
modified into large petaloid staminodes; the filament of the perfect stamen is
broad and grooved; anther 2-locular.
Gynoecium: ticarpellary syncarpus. Ovary inferior, 3-celled; ovules many on
axile placentation; style passing through the groove of fertile stamen, undivided
or 2-lipped or dentate; ovary rarely 1-celled with parietal or basal placentas. A
pair of epigynous glands are present that secrete nectar.
Fruit: a fleshy capsule, indehiscent or loculicidal, rarely berry.
Economic Importance
The family is very important for the economic plants it includes. Many have
medicinal properties while others produce spices and condiments. Zingiber
officinale , is the ginger; Z. zerumbet is also used as spice.
Curcuma domestica, is the turmeric (Haldi), C. angustifolia is the East Indian
Arrow-root, the rhizomatous tuber of which yields starch like that of Maranta
arundinacea , the true Arrow-root. C. amada . is used to flavour chutnies. C.
zedoaria, yields starch and is called the Shati food of Bangladesh.
Alpinia allughas , and A. galanga are medicinal. Amomum subulatum is the
Bara Elachi, while A. aromaticum is Morung Elachi. Elettaria cardamomum , is
the cardamon or Chhod Elachi. Costus speciosus is the Mahabari Bach, the
rhizome of which has medicinal properties.
Many are cultivated in the gardens for the beauty of the flowers and different
species of Hcdychium are favourites. H. coronarium g is the Dulal Champa
having large faint yellow very fragrant flowers. H. coccinium has a long spike of
bright red flowers growing in the hills of East India.
Kaempferia rotunda and K. linearis , are called Bhuin Champa. Mantisia
saltatoria , the dancing Girl has a lax inflorescence the flowers of which are
almost always moving by the lightest touch of wind.
