ARACEAE , 133 
Occasionally cultivated for its ornamental leaves. Not uncommon in 
Luzon and probably occurs in other parts of the Philippines. New Guinea. 
8. A. indica (Roxb.) Schott. Biga (Tag.); Badiang (Vis.); Elephant’s 
Ear. 
A coarse erect plant, the trunk stout, up to 2 m in height. Leaves 
very large, broadly ovate, the larger ones up to 1.5 m in length, margins 
slightly undulate, apex acute or acuminate, base deeply cordate, not at all 
peltate, the petioles long, very stout. Spathes peduncled, the tube 4 to 5 
em long, the blade yellowish to yellowish-green, up to 23 cm long and, when 
spread, 9 cm wide, often slightly mottled with purple inside. Pistillate 
part of the spadix 3 to 4 cm long, about 1.5 cm thick, contracted above, 
the fertile part of the male inflorescence about 6 cm long, the appendage 
15 cm in length. Berries red when mature, globose or ovoid, fleshy. (FI. 
Filip. pl. 177, A. montana.) 
Commonly cultivated, occasionally also found in waste places, vacant 
lots, etc., fl. all the year; common and widely distributed in the Philippines. 
India to Malaya. . 
* Var. VARIEGATA Engl., differs from the species in having the leaves 
strongly mottled with white or gray. 
Occasionally cultivated for ornamental purposes. 
4. A. zebrina C. Koch & Vietch. 
Stem short or none, petioles equaling or longer than the leaves, prom- 
inently striped or blotched with dark-green and white. Leaves broadly 
ovate, base deeply cordate, not peltate, entire, 35 to 65 em long, the apex 
very shortly and sharply acuminate, the basal lobes oblong-ovate, 15 to 20 . 
em in length. Spathes long-peduncled, greenish, the tube 2.5 to 3.5 cm 
long, the blade about 10 cm in length, longer than the white spadix. 
Occasionally cultivated; a species known only from Luzon. 
5. A. heterophylla (Presl) Merr. 
Rather slender plants from underground rhizomes, glabrous. Leaves 
15 to 25 cm long, green, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, sharply and slenderly 
acuminate, entire or only slightly undulate, the base deeply cordate, not 
peltate, the basal lobes spreading or not, oblong to lanceolate, narrow, 
obtuse, 6 to 10 cm long. Spathes slenderly peduncled, white, 6 to 7 cm 
long, the limb 4 to 5 em long, longer than the slender spadix, soon reflexed 
and deciduous. rep 
Occasionally cultivated. A widely distributed endemic species. 
9. COLOCASIA Linnaeus 
Coarse herbs from fleshy corms, with a short caudex, producing flowers 
and leaves at the same time. Leaves ovate, peltate at the cordate base, 
' stoutly petioled. Spathe erect, peduncled, the tube thick, accrescent, per- 
sistent, constricted at the mouth, the limb erect, elongated, deciduous. 
Spadix shorter than the spathe, slender or stout, the male and female 
flowers usually separated by interposed fiat neuter ones; appendage cylindric, 
subulate, or none. Ovaries ovoid, 1-celled; ovules many, orthotropous. 
Berries small. (An ancient Greek name.) 
Species 6 or 7, in tropical Asia to Polynesia, 1 in the Philippines. 
