during their frequent seasons of famine ; when they are dug 
up, washed, and cooked, notwithstanding their poisonous 
properties. The Arab name is Ironne. A similar use is 
made of the roots of the great Arisemas in the Himalaya (see 
A. curvatum, Tab. nost. 5931). During my visit to Marocco 
this plant was long past flower, and I am indebted to my 
friend Dr. Leared for the specimen here figured, which he 
brought in a flowering state in November last. The spathes 
are small and much paler than in the Mediterranean forms ; 
but this probably is to be accounted for by the confinement 
of the plant on board the steamer during its homeward 
voyage; for in dried specimens from Tangier, they are as 
large and highly coloured as in European ones. 
Descr. Root a tuber of various shapes, sometimes as large 
as a walnut, but usually smaller, producing a solitary leaf 
and scape, which are surrounded at the base by a membranous, 
acute sheath one to three inches long. Petiole three to eight 
inches long, pale green, sometimes speckled or blotched with 
purple, terete, succulent; blade usually three inches long, but 
sometimes twice as large or much smaller, very variable in 
breadth, oblong-hastate or almost deltoid, obtuse, apiculate, 
bright green above, paler beneath; lobes spreading or pointing 
downwards, obtuse. Scape shorter or longer than the petiole 
and like it spotted or not. Spathe one and a half to two and 
and a half inches long; tube inflated, obliquely truncate ; 
limb short, arched, subacute, about as long as the tube, 
: dark-purple, the colour extending in streaks along the tube. 
Spadiv conical at the base, and broadly adnate to the spathe, 
round the conical base of the spadix ; anthers reniform. 
Ovaries few, seated on the spathe in front of the spadix, 
l-celled ; on many basal ; style very short, stigma capi- 
Ser tei 
Fig. 1, column; 2 and 3, stamens; 4, ovary ; 
7 5 7 £ . 7 f 
ditto :—all magnified. » vertical section o 
