_ 363 PELTANDRA. 



1. ARUM. 



Flowers sometimes dioecious, spathe cucullate, convolute at 

 base; perianth 0; spadix C3lindric, naked above, slaminalt 

 below the middle and pistillate at the base; berry 1-celled, 

 many-seeded. 



Coptic, aron, the name of the Egyptian species, A. colocasia. Herbs, 

 perennial. 



1. A. triphy'llum. 



Acaulescent; leaves trifoliate, mostly in pairs, leaflets oval, acuminate ; 

 spadix clavate ; spathe ovate, acuminate, flat and deflected above. A curious 

 and well known inhabitant of wet woodlands. The stem is a rugose, fleshy, 

 subterraneous corm giving off" radicles in a circle from the edge. Scape 



8 ]2 inches hicrh, erect, round, embraced at the base by the long sheaths of 



the petioles. Leaves 2, on long stalks, each consisting of 3 smooth leaflets, 

 2—7 inches lono-, ^ as wide. Spathe green without, usually variegated with- 

 in with stripes of' dark purple alternating with pale green. Spadix much 

 shorter than the spathe varyiug from green to dark purple. Fruit a bunch of 

 bright scarlet berries. The corm loses its fiercely acrid principle by drying, 

 and is then valued as a carminative, &;c. May, Jn. Dragon Root. 



/3. atroruhcns {Dewy. A. atrorubens. L.) ; spathe sessile, spreading liorizon- 

 tally above, dark brown. Plant rather smaller, and with a disagreeable odor. 



2. A. Draco'5T1UM. 



Acaulescent ; lenf mostly solitary, pedate ; leaflets oblong-lanceolate ; 

 spadix subulate, longer than the convolute, oblong spathe. Less common in 

 N. England than the former species, found in wet places, banks of streams, 

 &c. Stem a fleshy, subterraneous corm. Scape slender, C— 12 inches high. 

 Leaf on an erect, sheathing petiole, which is dichotomous above, each half 

 bearing 2—4 leaflets with an odd one at tiie fork. Leaflets rather smaller 

 than in A. triphylliim. Spathe green, 1 — 2 inches long, rolled into a tube at 

 base. Spadix slender, with its long, tapering point much e.xserted. Fruit a 

 bunchof red berries. Jn. Jl. Green Dragon. 



2. PELTA'NDRA. 



Spalhe convolute; spadix covered with flowers, staminate 

 above, pistillate below; perianth ; stamens peltate ; berry 

 1-celled, 1-seeded. 



Gr. -TTiXrn), a shield or target, uv^qh, stamens ; from the character. Peren- 

 nial herbs. 



P. ViRGINl'CA. Rqf- Arum. I,. Calla. Su). Lecontia. Cooper. Rensseleria. jRct. ) 



Caladium. Lind. ( 

 Acaulescent ; Zeapes oblong, hastate-cordate, acute at apex, the lobes obtuse ; 

 spathe elongated, incurved ; spadix covered with staminate flowers the greater 

 part of its length. A smooth, dark green plant, in wet grounds. N. Y. and 

 Ms. Leaves radical, numerous, 8 — 12 inches long, ^ as wide, on petioles as 

 long as the scapes. Scapes many fiom the same root, 8 — 1.5 inches long. 

 Spathe closely involving the spadix, green, 2 — 3 inches long, lanceolate, 

 wavy on the margin. Spadix slender, acuminate, shorter than the spathe, 

 bearing the ovaries and finally the berries in a dense cluster at its base. June. 

 It is to° be hoped that this persecuted plant will soon find, if it has not here 

 found, a permanent abode. 



