ARACEAE. 85 



reduced to bladeless sheaths; spikelets terminal, solitary, or in 

 heads or umbels, with or without a 1 -several-leaved involucre; 

 scales in a spiral, overlapping; flowers perfect; perianth of 6 or 

 numerous thread-like smooth soft bristles which project much 

 beyond the scales at maturity. 



Spikelets solitary; involucral bracts wanting. 



Bristles copper-colored. E. chamissonis. 



Bristles white. E. chamissonis albidum. 



Spikelets several, subtended by 1 or more bracts; 

 bristles white. 



Leaves 3-sided; bract solitary; akene linear. E. gracile. 



Leaves flat; bracts 2 or 3; akene obovoid. E. polystachion. 



Eriophorum chamissonis C. A. Mey. Stems solitary, 20-40 cm. high; 

 leaves very narrow, 3-angled, channelled; spikelet erect; akenes oblong, acute; 

 bristles 2-3 cm. long, rusty or cinnamon-colored. 



In sphagnum bogs, not rare. 



Eriophorum chamissonis albidum (Nyl.) Fernald. Bristles white. 

 Vancouver Island and eastward. 



Eriophorum gracile Koch. Stems very slender; leaves very narrow, 

 3-angled, channelled; scales mostly blunt at the tip; bristles white, 1.5-2 cm. 

 long. 



In sphagnum bogs. 



Eriophorum polystachion L. Stems rather stout; leaves linear, flat; 

 spikelets several, nodding; scales acute; bristles white, 2-3 cm. long. 

 In bogs, especially in the mountains. 



Family 18. ARACEAE. ARUM FAMILY. 



Plants with acrid or pungent juice and simple or compound 

 leaves; flowers crowded on a spadix, perfect, monoecious or 

 dioecious; spathe present or none; perianth of 4-6 sepals or 

 none; fruit usually a 1-4-celled 1-seeded berry. 



101. LYSICHITON. 



Acaulescent swamp herbs with large leaves from a thick 

 horizontal rootstock; spathe sheathing at base, with or without 

 a broad colored lamina, at first enveloping the cylindrical spadix 

 which later becomes exserted on a stout peduncle; flowers per- 

 fect, crowded, covering the spadix; perianth 4-lobed; stamens 

 4, opposite the perianth-segments; ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled; 

 fruits fleshy, somewhat immersed in the rachis and coalescent. 



Lysichiton camtschatcense (L.) Schott. Yellow Skunk Cabbage. Leaves 

 large, 30-90 cm. long, oblong, acute or acutish, narrowed at base into a short 

 margined petiole; spathe golden-yellow, the blade boat-shaped, acute, narrowed 

 into a sheathing petiole; peduncle stout, 20-30 cm. long; spadix cylindric, in 

 fruit 5-12 cm. long. 



In swamps, common. Root very pungent. 



