Symplocarpus feetida. 427 
They are commonly twelve, fifteen, and eighteen inches long; and 
nine or ten broad. I have seen them, in favourable situations, 
more than two feet long and twelve inches broad. They are ob- 
long-ovate, heart-shaped at the base, smooth, strongly veined, and 
have a large succulent middle rib, projecting below. Vhe root con- 
sists of a vast number of verticillate cylindrical thick fibres, many of 
which are near a fourth of an inch in diameter. They diverge from 
their point of cincture, and penetrate the earth or mire, to the depth 
of two feet, and sometimes more. The fibres are whitish, coloured 
with brownish-red rings. 
The flowers are concealed in a singular spongy ovoid spathe. 
acuminated and depressed obliquely at the apex, and auriculated at 
the base; variegated with spots of livid-purple, yellow, lake-green 
and red. These spathes may not be unaptly compared to some 
kinds of shells. Upon opening them, the flowers are found situ- 
ated upon a globose pedunculated spadix. They are destitute of pe- 
tals; have a 4-parted calix, divided at the base. ~ Segments hooded, 
flattened, and notched at the apex. There are four stamens, situat- 
ed opposite*to: the divisions of the calix, having flat awl-shaped 
filaments, with short oblong anthers. The style is thick and four- 
sided ; stigma shorter than the stamens, The seeds are numerous, 
large, naked, irregularly roundish, and speckled with purple and 
yellow. They are immersed in a large spongy receptacle near to 
the surface, as shown in the section, (fig. 4. plate 10.) 
