318 CAT-TAIL FAMILY. 



A. Dracontium, DRAGON-ABOM, DKAI;D\-I;OOT. or GRKKN DRAGOV. 



Low Around.-.; leaf mostly solitary, its petiole l-2 long, bearing 7-ii 

 pedate lance-oblong pointed leaflets ; tli.- -nvni>h spathe wholly rolled into a 

 tube with a short slender point, verv much shorter than the Ion-' and taiicriii" 

 tail-like spathe. 



2. COLOCASIA. (The ancient Greek name of the common species.) ~U. 

 C. antiquorum, one variety called C. ESCULENTA ; cult, in the hot parts 



of the world lor its farinaceous thick rootstocks (which arc esculent when the 

 acrid principle i< driven off by heat, as also the leaves), and in gardens for its 

 magnificent foliage, the pale ovate-arrow-shaped leaves being 2-3 long when 

 well ^rown ; the stalk attached much helow the middle, the notch not deep. 



3. PELTANDRA, ARROW-ARUM. (Name of Greek words meaning 

 shield-shaped stamen, from the form of the anthers.) Fl. summer. Jl 



P. Virginiea. ShaJlow water : 1 - 2 high ; leaves pale ; the fine tran- 

 verse nerves ninintig from the midrib and netted with 2 or 3 longitudinal ones 

 near the margin ; scaj.es recurved in fruit ; top of the spatbe and spadix 

 rotting off, leaving the short fleshy base firmlv embracing the globular clu-tcr 

 of green berries. 



4. RICHARDIA. (Named for the French botanist, L. C. Richard.) 21 

 R. Africana, the .ETHIOPIAN or EGYPTIAN CAI.LA, of common house- 

 culture, but a native of the Cape of Good Hope and not a true Calla, too 

 familiar to need fuller description. 



5. CALLA, WATER ARUM. (An ancient name.) Fl. early summer. % 

 C. palustris. Cold and wet bogs from Penn X. : a low and small, rather 



handsome plant ; leaves 3' -4' long ; filaments slender ; anthers 2-cel led. 



6. SYMPLOCARPUS, SKUNK CABBAGE. (Name of Creek words 

 for fmlt f/1'own together.) y. 



S. foetidllS, the only species, in swamps and wet woods, mostlv N. : send- 

 ing up, in earliest spring, its purple-tinged or striped spathe enclosing the head 

 of (lowers, and later the large leaves, when full grown 1- 2 long, in a cabbage- 

 like tuft ; the fruit 2' -3' in diameter, the hard bullet-like seeds almost ^' wide, 

 ripe in autumn. 



7. ACORUS, SWEET FLAG or CALAMI'S. (Ancient name, from 

 the (ireek, said to refer to the use as a rcmedv for sore eves.) ~^_ 



1. A. Calamus, COMMON Swi.KT-Ei.Af; : in wet grounds ; sending up the 

 2-ed.ired sword-shaped leaves, 2 or more' high, from the horizontal pungent 

 aromatic nmt-'ock : II. earlv summer. 



113. TYPHACE.SI, CAT-TAIL FAMILY. 



Marsh herbs, or some truly aquatic, wit!) linear and straijrht- 

 nerved erect (unless floating) long leaves, fhcathing at base, and 

 monccoious flouci-s on ;i dry ,-padix, destitute of calyx and corolla; 

 the fruit dry and nut-like, 1 -seeded, rarely 2-seeded. 



Near to this belongs PANDANTS, cult, lor its foliage in some cou- 

 servatories, with prickly toothed leaves crowded on woody stems. 



1. TV I'll A. I'lowors indefinite, in a dense cylindrical spike terminating the long 



and simple reed-like stem; the upper part of stamens only, mixed with long 

 hairs: the lower ami thicker part of slender-stalked ovaries tapering into a 

 style and below surrounded by numerous club-shaped bristles, which form 

 the copioii< down of the fruit. 



2. SPABGAN1UM. Flowers collected in separate dense heads, scattered along 



the summit of the leafy stem; the upper ones of stamens only with some 



