CLXVI. AROIDEX. (J. D. Hooker.) 523 
18. COLOCASIA, Linn. 
Tall coarse herbs, tuberous or with a stout short caudex, flowering and 
leafing together. Leaves stoutly petioled, peltate, ovate-cordate. Spathe 
stoutly peduncled ; tube thick, accrescent, persistent, mouth constricted ; 
imb erect, deciduous. Spadix shorter than the spathe, stout or slender; 
male and fem. infl. with usually interposed flat neuters; appendage 
cylindric subulate or 0. Ovaries and ovules as in Remusatia. Berries 
obconic or oblong. Seeds oblong, sulcate, albumen copious ; embryo axile. 
—Species 6 or 7 tropical Asiatic. 
1. C. Antiquorum, Schott Melet.i.18; Syn. 40; Prodr. 38; leaves 
large ovate with a broad triangular basal sinus, tube of spathe oblong 2-4 
nes shorter than the narrow lanceolate limb, appendage very variable. 
Miguel FI, Ind. Bat. ii. 202; Kunth Enum. iii. 37 ; Thwaites Enum. 335 ; 
Benth. F1, Austral. vii. 155; Engler Arac.491 and Lcon. ined. No.251. C. escu- 
lenta, and acris, Schott Melet.i.18; Kunth l.c. C. nympheifolia, Kunth l.c. 
C. Fontanesii, Schott in str. Bot. Wochenbl. (1854), 409. C. pruinipes, Koch 
Bouché, Ind. Sem. Hort. Berol. (1854), 4. C. euchlora, C. Koch. 4 Lindl.l.c. 
App. Caladium esculentum, Vent. Hort. Cels. 30; Willd. Sp. Pl. iv. 489 ; C. 
acre, Br, Prodr. 3306 ; C. nymphzeifolium, Vent. Le: Griff. Notul. iii. 144, t. 
161 B. 9 (ovules). Arum Colocasia. Linn. Sp. Pl. 965; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 
494; Grah. Cat. Bomb. Pl. 228; Wight Ie. t. 786, f.1. A. nymphzifolium, 
1 vb. & Grah, A cc.; Wight l. c. f£. 2. <A. peltatum, Lam, Encycl. iii. 
3.—Colocasia, Wall. Cat. 8943 —Rheede Hort. Mal. xi. t. 23. 
C Throughout, the hotter parts of INDIA (up to 7600 ft. in the Himalaya) and 
wé N, in moist and dry places, wild or cultivated.—DisTRIB. cult. in all hot 
Countries, 
Leaves 6-16 in., dark green, dull, sometimes clouded with black; petiole stout, 
than er green or violet. Peduncles solitary or clustered and connate, much shorter 
i an the petioles, Spathe 8-18 in., caudate-acuminate, erect, pale yellow.  Spadiz 
lo "ter than the spathe; fem. infl. as long as that of the staminodes, male infl. 
nger.— Very common and variable, Roxburgh distinguishes 3 varieties besides 
mp heifolia, they are—1, a dark one from wet places in which the roots (base of stem?) 
Ji swell, but send out many suckers, and the leaves and petioles are more or less 
parple, it is much eaten; 2, one that grows on dry ground with dark purple or 
uish clouds in the leaf ; 3, one like the last but all green. Of nympheifolia, which 
* describes ag having repand leaves, He says that he doubts if it is anything but a 
one Aquatic state, abundant wild on borders of lakes, with the subterraneous stem 
ten as long and thick as a man’s arm, reddish petioles peduncles and leaves, 
narrower leaves, and a short appendage ; all parts are eaten. 
orn; C- affinis, Schott in Bonpland. (1859) 28; Prodr. 138; leaves ovate 
" orbicular-ovate base rounded retuse or cordate nerves very slender, tube of 
e cylindric 4-6 times shorter than the linear-lan ceolate long acuminate 
' abpendage as long or twice as long as the infl., stigma sessile i- 
n * Angler Arae 499." Colocasia, No. 3° Herb, Ind. Or. Hf. & T. Alocasia 
hingsii, Veitch in Ill. Hort. (1869), t. 585; Gard. Chron. (1869), 136; 
a des Serres, xvii. 1818.— Aroid. Wall. Cat. 8952 B. 
n Breet HIMALAYA, King. Assam, Hamilton. KHASIA HILIS, alt. 2-4000 ft. 
uL and T. T. Burma; Prome Hills, Wallich. ith 
dark blor small, Zeaves 4-6 in. long and nearly as broad, membranous, green tul 
tlende otches between the nerves, glaucous beneath, tip obtuse or acute; petiole 
Ter, 6-8 in. Peduncle 3-5 in. Spathe 4-6 in., tube 1 in., tumid, green; limb 
Primrose Yellow. Spadis with a narrow neck between the male and fem, infl. 
