ARACE^. (arum family.) 441 



connective, opening; attlie apex. Ovaries numerous, crowded, soinewliat 4-cclIed, 

 with numerous horizontal ovules in each cell. Style short and thick : stigma 

 broad, depressed, lobed. Berry red, many-seeded. — Herbs. Petioles of the 

 sagittate leaves sheathing the base of the scape. 



1. X. sagittifolium, Schott. Stemless ; leaves glaucous, hastate-cordate, 

 acuminate, the lobes oblong, obtuse ; spathe hooded at the summit, oval-lanceo- 

 late, white, longer than the spadix. — Marshes and springy places, near Savan- 

 nah, Elliott, and Wilmington, Curtis. May and June. Ij. — Root tuberous. 

 Petioles 12'- 15' long. Leaves 5' -7' long, the lobes somewhat spreading and 

 generally obtuse. Scape as long as the petioles. 



4. PISTIA, L. 



Spathe tubular at the base, spreading above, united with the spadix. Flowers 

 few, monoecious, the upper ones staminate and supported by a cup-shaped invo- 

 lucre ; the fertile solitary. Calyx and corolla none. Anther-cells 3-8, opening 

 transversely. Ovary 1-celled, with several erect orthotropous ovules. Style 

 thick : stigma disk-like. Berry fjw -many-seeded. Embryo at the apex of the 

 albumen. — Small free-floating aquatic herbs, with fibrous roots, and entire 

 clustered spreading leaves, with the flowers in their axils. 



1. P. spathulata, Michx. Leaves arranged in a circle, round-obovate, 

 abruptly- contracted into a short petiole, with the nerves projecting beneath (la- 

 melliform) ; roots numerous, elongated; spathe short-peduncled, white. — In 

 still water. East Florida, and westward. — Leaves l'-2' long. 



5. SYMPLOCARPUS, Salisb. Skunk-Cabbage. 



Spathe hoodedshell-form, acuminate, fleshy, early decaying. Spadix pedun- 

 clcd, globose, covered with the perfect flowers. Sepals 4, hooded, berry-like in 

 fruit. Corolla none. Stamens 4 ; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise. Ovary 

 1-celled, 1-ovuled Style pyramidal, 4-angled ; stigma minute. Berries with 

 the sepals united in a mass. Seeds globose, without albumen. Embryo thick 

 and fleshy. — Perennial garlic-scented herbs, from a deep and thick rhizoma, 

 with large stout-petioled veiny leaves, and nearly sessile spathes, appearing be- 

 fore the leaves. 



1 . S. foetidus, Salisb. Leaves thin, oval, cordate, short-petioled ; spathe 

 ovate, incurved, spotted with purple and yellow ; spadix dull-purple, much 

 shorter than the spathe, enlarged in fruit. (Pothos foetidus, Michx.) — Bogs and 

 swamps, North Carolina, and northward. Feb. and March. — Leaves l°-2° 

 long. Spathe 2' - 4' long. Spadix in fruit 2' - 3' in diameter. Seeds about the 

 size of a pea. 



6. ORONTIXJM, L. Golden-Club. 



Spathe none. Spadix cylindrical, covered with the yellow perfect flowers. 

 Sepals and stamens 4-6. Aathers 2-celled, opening lengthwise. Ovary 1-celled, 



