128 A FLORA OF MANILA. 
with acute valvate tips. Ovary 1-celled. Fruit ovoid to oblong, red; 
pericarp fibrous. Seed with ruminate albumen. (From the Malabar 
name.) 
Species about 35, tropical Asia to Australia, 7 in the Philippines. 
*1. A. CATECHU L. Bunga (Tag.); Betel-nut Palm. 
Trunk erect, slender, up to 25 m high, marked with annular scars. 
Leaves up to 5 m long, the leaflets numerous, 60 to 90 long, the upper ones 
confluent. Spadix much-branched, the branches filiform above, bearing 
very numerous, somewhat distichous male flowers which are yellow and 
about 5 mm long. Female flowers at the bases of the branches and in 
the axils, 1 cm long or more. Fruit ovoid, smooth, red, 4 to 6 cm long, 
the pericarp somewhat fleshy, the mesocarp fibrous. (FI. Filip. pl. 350.) 
Commonly cultivated, fl. all the year; throughout the Philippines in 
cultivation, certainly of prehistoric introduction. India to Malaya, fre- 
quently only cultivated; probably a native of India. 
16. ARACEAE (ARUM OR GABI FAMILY) 
Perennial plants from rhizomes or fleshy corms, with radical leaves, suf- 
frutescent or woody vines, or in one genus aquatic and floating. Leaves 
alternate, various. Flowers 1- or 2-sexual, sessile on a spadix which is 
more or less enclosed by a green, white, or colored spathe, if 1-sexual the 
males usually above the females, neuter flowers often between them. Per- 
ianth none, or of 4 to 6 scale-like segments. Anthers 2- to 4-celled. 
Ovary sessile, 1- to 3-celled; ovules 1 or more. Fruit baccate, 1- to many- 
seeded. ' - 
Genera 110, species more than 1,000, in all parts of the world, chiefly 
tropical, 20 genera and about 65 species in the Philippines. 
1. Coarse climbing vines with large, entire or pinnately lobed leaves. 
2. Leaves not mottled; ovaries sub-2-celled, many ovuled. 
1. Raphidophora 
2. Leaves pale-green, mottled with yellowish-green or nearly white spots 
and blotches; ovaries 1-celled, 1-ovuled...........................- 2. Scindapsus 
1. Erect plants, never climbing. 
2. Lettuce-like plants floating on fresh water; leaves and petioles not 
LL ot kel i. i.” AMM Whe vel Ao scety See aot atl te 3. Pistia 
2. Terrestrial plants. 
3. Plants from very aromatic rootstocks, the leaves linear, flat, equi- 
|), on Oo AR FAA! Sea haem Ae tae Pa th pad sore Se 4. Acorus 
3. Plants from large globose corms, the flowers appearing before the 
leaves, the spathes very large; leaves long-petioled, the blade 
deeply 3-parted, spreading................-.------.----------- 5. Amorphophallus 
3. Leaves and flowers borne at the same time; plants with broad simple 
leaves. 
4, Ovaries 2- or 8-celled; cultivated plants with variegated leaves. 
6. Caladium 
4. Ovaries 1-celled. 
5. Ovules 1 or 2; anther-cells larger than the connective. 
7. Typhonium 
5. Ovules few to many. 
B. UVEIGS, LOW, DASAE rors steers ha 52: see er eS nee aes 8. Alocasia 
B. OVINES MANY, WARIS t cok cece cease See ene Peer 9. Colocasia 
