Tas. geo. 
ARISAUMA curvatum. 
Native of the Himalaya. 
Nat, Ord. AroipEa.—Tribe ARISARE, 
Genus Arisama, Martius ; (Schott. Prod. Syst. Aroid., p. 24). 
ArIsHMA curvatum ; foliis 1-2 pedatis, foliolis 8-18 sessilibus v. breviter petio- 
latis lanceolatis acuminatis v. caudato-acuminatis integerrimis, spathe 
tubo viridi cylindrico obscure albo-vittato, fauce aperta, lamina forni- 
cata elliptica acuminata dorso brunnea tubo subequilonga, spadice e 
fauce procurvo ultra laminam longe producto, organis neutris 0, ap- 
pendice gracili arcuatim retrocurva cylindrica a basi ad apicem sensim 
attenuata. 
ARISEMA curvatum, Kunth. Enum. Plant., vol. iii. p. 20. Schott. Prod. 
Syst. Aroid., p. 37. 
Arisa helleborifolium, Schott. Synops. Aroid., p. 29; Prod. l. c., p. 36. 
_ArismMa, Wall. Cat., n. 8927. 
ARuUM curvatum, Roxb. Fl. Ind., vol. iii. p. 506. 
A very common plant in the humid forests of the Himalaya, 
from Bhotan to Simla, at elevations of 7000 to 9000 feet; 
first described by Roxburgh from a specimen from Nepal, 
which flowered in the Calcutta Botanic Gardens. It is also 
found in the Khasia mountains, at elevations of 5000 to 
7000 feet, growing amongst rank herbage ; and a similar, if 
not identical species inhabits the mountains of the Concan, 
in the Peninsula of India. 
The tuberous roots of this and allied species of Arisema 
are used for food in times of scarcity by the Lepchas of 
Sikkim ; they are prepared by burying them in masses in 
the ground, until acetous fermentation sets in, when they 
are dug up, washed, and cooked. By this means the 
poisonous properties of the root are in part dispersed, but 
OCTOBER Isr, 1871. 
