364 ARACEAE. 
5. ORONTIUM L.,. Sp. Pl. 324.1753. 
Aquatic herbs, with thick rootstocks buried in the mud, oblong-elliptic nerved leaves 
without a distinct midvein, and slender terete scapes terminated by a cylindric spadix. 
Spathe enclosing the spadix when very young, soon parting and remaining as a sheathing 
bract at its base, or falling away. Flowers perfect, bright yellow, covering the whole 
spadix. Sepals 4-6, scale-like, imbricated upon the ovary (lower flowers commonly with 6, 
upper with 4). Stamens as many as the sepals; filaments linear, wider than the anthers, 
abruptly narrowed above; anthers small, with two diverging sacs opening by oblique slits. 
Ovary partly imbedded in the axis of the spadix, depressed, obtusely angled, 1-celled; ovule 
solitary, half-anatropous; stigma sessile. Fruit a green utricle. Endosperm none; embryo 
long-stalked. [Ancient name of some water plant, said to be from the Syrian river 
Orontes. ] 
A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 
1. Orontium aquaticum [T. Golden-club. 
(Fig. 882.) 
Orontium aquaticum I,. Sp. Pl. 324. 1753. 
Leaves ascending or floating, depending on the depth 
of water, deep dull green above, pale beneath, the blade 
5/-12’ long, 2/-5’ wide, entire, acute or cuspidate at the 
apex, narrowed at the base into a petiole 4/-20’ long. 
Scape 6’-24’ long, flattened near the spadix; spadix 1/—2’ 
long, 3/’-4’’ in diameter, frequently attenuate at the 
summit, much thickened in fruit; spathe bract-like, 2’-4’ 
long, 2-keeled on the back; usually falling away early; 
utricle depressed, roughened on top with 9 or ro tubercles. 
In swamps and ponds, Massachusetts to central Penn- 
sylvania, south to Florida and Louisiana, mostly near the 
coast. Ascends to 2000 ft. on the Pocono plateau of Pennsyl- 
vania. April-May. 
6. ACORUS L. Sp. Pl. 324. 1753. 
Erect herbs, with very long horizontal branched rootstocks, sword-shaped leaves, and 3- 
angled scapes keeled on the back and channeled in front, and a seemingly lateral cylindric 
spadix, the scape appearing as if extending long beyond it, but this upper part is in reality 
aspathe. Flowers perfect, densely covering the whole spadix. Perianth of 6 membranous 
concave sepals. Stamens 6; filaments flattened, much longer than the anthers; anthers reni- 
form or sagittate, 2-celled, the cells confluent at-maturity. Ovary oblong, 3-4-celled with 
2-8 anatropous ovules in each cell; stigma sessile, depressed-capitate. Fruit a 2-3-celled 
gelatinous berry, few-seeded. Endosperm copious. [Name ancient. ] 
Two known species, the following widely distributed in the north temperate zone, the other 
Japanese. 
1. Acorus Calamus L. Sweet Flag. 
Calamus-root. (Fig. 883.) 
Acorus Calamus L,. Sp. Pl. 324. 1753: 
Leaves linear, erect, 2°-6° tall and 1’ wide or less, 
sharp-pointed and sharp-edged, with a ridged mid- 
veil running their whole length, 2-ranked, closely 
sheathing each other and the scape below. Spathe 
a leaf-like extension of the scape projecting 8’—307 
beyond the spadix; spadix spike-like, 2’—3 14’ long, 
about 14’ in diameter, compactly covered with 
minute greenish-yellow flowers. 
In swamps and along streams, Nova Scotia to On- 
tario and Minnesota, south to Louisiana and Kansas. 
Also in Europe and Asia. In our territory fruit is 
rarely, if ever, formed. The hard ovary is usually 
found to be imperfect, with 2 or 3 abortive cells and 
ovules. The plant is propagated by its large rootstocks, 
which furnish the drug Calamus. Interior of stalk 
sweet. May-July. 
