ARACE^. 



the seed behind still attached to it. Seed single, ovate-cordate, some- 

 what 2-lobed, covered at the base with a thin, red, succulent aril. Al- 

 bumen 0. Embryo hooked, very succulent. — The fruit cut into trans- 

 verse pieces and dried is an article of some importance in Hindoo 

 Materia Medica, called Guj~pvppul, and sold by the druggists under that 

 name. Roxb. 



DIEFFENBACHIA. 



Spathe convolute. Spadix completely covered, pseudo-her- 

 maphrodite at the base, male next the upper end. Anthers 

 subsessile; the cells opening by a pore at the apex. Ovaries 

 1-celled,, surrounded by 3 sterile stamens. No manifest style ; 

 ovule solitary, erect ; stigma capitate. 



1289. D. Seguina Schott. meletem. 20. — Caladium Seguinum 

 Vent. Willd. sp. pi. iv. 490. Hookers Exot. fi. t. 1. Arum 

 Seguinum Linn. sp. pi. 1371. — West India Islands. (Dumb 

 Cane.) 



A small, arborescent, palm-like, herbaceous plant. Stem 5-6 feet high, 

 slender, scarred by the remains of fallen leaves. Leaves ovate-oblong, 

 undulated, acute, with a thick midrib, and often perforated. Spathes axil- 

 lary, 5-6 inches long, oblong, stalked, pale green, convolute, with the apex 

 of the spadix just protruding. Spadix cylindrical, wholly male at the apex, 

 wholly female, with abortive stamens intermixed at the base,and naked in 

 the middle. Anthers sessile, consolidated into peltate hexangular bodies. 

 Ovaries roundish, terminated by flat sessile lobed stigmas, and sur- 

 rounded by clavate pellucid processes. According to Sir Wm, Hooker 

 the ovaries are 2-celled, with several ovules in each cell : this is 

 at variance with Schott's character of the genus as given above ; I 

 know not which is right. — One of the most venomous of all known 

 plants. If the rhizoma is chewed it produces a dangerous swelling of 

 the tongue, and is said to produce dumbness when merely applied to 

 the lips. Sir Wm. Hooker says that the slightest application of the 

 juice of the spadix to the tongue gives great pain. The juice is said to 

 impart an indelible stain to linen. Browne says that the stem is em- 

 ployed in the West Indies to bring sugar to a good grain, when the 

 juice is too viscid, and cannot be made to granulate properlv by the 

 application of lime alone. 



ACORACE^. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 365. 



ACORUS. 



A spadix naked and closely covered with flowers. Flowers 

 surrounded with 6 scales. Ovaries 3-celled ; about 6 suspended 

 ovules in each cell; stigmas 3-lobed. Berries 1-seeded. 



1290. A. Calamus Linn, sp.pl. 462. E. Bot. t. 356. Woodv. 



606 



