AROIDEZ. 425 
America and the Old World. From fifteen to twenty species are known, two thirds of 
them from Tropical Asia and the rest Tropical America. 
1. Homalomena wendlandii, Schott, Prodr. Aroid. p. 808; Engler in DC. 
Monogr. Phanerog. ii. p. 340. 
Costa Rica (Wendland). Cultivated specimens only in the Kew Herbarium. 
9. DIEFFENBACHIA. 
Dieffenbachia, Schott, Meletem. i. p. 20, et Gen. Aroid. t. 63; Benth. et Hook. Gen. Plant. ii. 
p- 986. 
A genus of about six species, restricted to Tropical America. 
1. Dieffenbachia crstedii, Schott in Céster. Bot. Zeitschr. 1858, p. 179, et 
Prodr. Aroid. p. 8327; Engler in DC. Monogr. Phanerog. ii. p. 449. 
Mexico (fide Engler); Costa Rica (Hoffmann ; Crsted). 
10. STENOSPERMATION. 
Stenospermation, Schott, Gen. Aroid. t. 70; Benth. et Hook. Gen. Plant. ini. p. 990. 
An exclusively Tropical-American genus of about half a dozen known species. 
1. Stenospermation? angustifolium, Hemsl., n. sp. 
Glabra, foliis tenuibus anguste lanceolatis, petiolo superne inappendiculato gracili, spadice brevis- 
sime stipitato, ovario biloculari, loculis biovulatis. . 
Herba vel suffrutex caudicibus graciliusculis, internodiis brevibus. Folia membranacea, petiolata, 
anguste lanceolata, absque petiolo 4-7 poll. longa, medio usque sesquipoll. lata, utrinque 
cuneata, apice acutissima, nervis lateralibus primariis creberrimis obscuris ; petiolus 3-4 poll. 
longus, infra anguste vaginatus, parte inappendiculata gracili 1-2 poll. longa. Pedunculus 
folio multo brevior, gracilis. Spatha deest. Spadix nutans, cylindricus, circiter pollicaris, 
floriger 14-2 lineas diametro, brevissime stipitatus vel subsessilis. Ovarium biloculare, loculis 
biovulatis ; ovula a basi loculorum erecta. 
Nicaracua, Chontales (Tate). Hb. Kew. 
Several genera of this tribe (the Collee) are very artificial, as it appears to us, the 
principal differences adduced being the number of cells in the ovary and the number of 
ovules in each cell, associated with a deciduous or persistent spathe and a sessile or 
stipitate spadix. In these characters the present plant is intermediate between Steno- 
spermation and the Old-World Rhaphidophora, while in habit it would do for either. 
2. Stenospermation ? marantefolium, Hemsl., n. sp. 
Glabra, foliis ovato-oblongis acute acuminatis, petiolo per totam longitudinem vaginato, spadice 
brevi longiuscule stipitato, ovario uniloculari?, ovulis 10-12. 
Herba vel suffrutez, caudicibus crassiusculis. Folia in siccis subcoriacea, petiolata, ovato-oblonga 
vel elliptica, absque petiolo 4-7 poll. longa, maxima 8 poll. lata, basi rotundata, apice acute 
acuminata vel subcaudata, nervis lateralibus primariis numerosissimis creberrimis, sat conspi- 
cuis, apicem lamine versus curvatim adscendentibus; petiolus 13-2} poll. longus, usque ad 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Bot. Vol. III., February 1885. 34 
