820 CXLI. ARACE^. 



oblong, obtuse or acute, margins undulate, entire, base acute or rounded ; 

 midrib very stout, with many slender veins diverging from it; petiole 

 as long as the blade, semicylindric, | in. in diam. ; stipular sheaths 

 acunjiiiate, 2-keeled. Peduncle shorter and more slender than the 

 petiole, compressed. Spathe 3-9 in. long, tubular below ; the limb 

 |-lg in. broad, ovate-lanceolate, caudate-acuminate, slightly twisted ; 

 tube much shorter than the long-tailed limb. Male inflorescence 

 cylindric ; anthers crowded, yellow, the cells with tubular tips. Female 

 inflorescence of many ovaries, in many cycles, crowded in a globose 

 head ; stigma sessile, pulvinate, 5-angled ; ovules 4-8 on a basal placenta. 

 Syncarpium on a short decurved peduncle, globose, l|-2 in. in diam.; 

 carpels about 5 in. long, partially dehiscent. Seeds | in. long, narrowly 

 oblong, furrowed. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 495 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 257 ; Eugler, 

 in DU. Monog. Phau. v. 2, p. 621 ; Trim. PI. Ceyl. v. 4, p. 349 ; Woodr. 

 in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 427.— Flowers : Feb.-Mar. Veiin. 

 Vatsandh. 



KoNKAN : in marshes, Dalzell. S. M. Country: Belgaum, Dalzell. Kanaka: 

 Jvoessi (N. Kanara), Talbot, 1813 ! — Distrib. India (W. Peninsula) ; Ceylon. 



4. ARIS-ffiMA, Mart. 



Tuberous monoecious or dioecious herbs. Leaves 1-3, often coming 

 up with the flowers but sometinies after them, trisect or pedate or 

 verticillately 5- or more-sect. Spathe deciduous ; tube convolute ; 

 limb often acuminate or tailed, usually incurved. Spadix included or 

 exserted, always with a barren appendage which is often long and 

 filiform. Male infloeescence of many usually stipitate connate 

 stamens ; anthers 2-5, oblong or subglobose, the cells distinct or con- 

 fluent, dehiscing by pores or vertical slits. Female inelorescekce : 

 Flowers densely crowded ; ovary ovoid, oblong or subglobose, 1-celled ; 

 ovules 2 or more, basal, orthotropous ; style short or 0. Neuter 

 FLOWERS or few, subulate, above the males or the females or on the 

 appendage. Fruit a 1- or few-seeded berry. Seeds ovoid or globose ; 

 testa rather thick ; albumen copious ; embryo axile. — Disteib. Tempe- 

 rate and tropical Asia ; N. America ; species about 50. 



Leaves pedatisect"; appendage of spadix elongate, fur-esserted . 1. A. tortuosum. 

 Leaflets whorled. 

 Leaflets sessile. 



SjjatJie 4-12 in. long with an obtusely acuminate tip ; tube 

 narrow, petiole 2 ft. long; peduncle short; appendage 



narrowly clavate 2. A. Leschc7iauUii. 



Spathe 3-5 in. long with an acute (not caudate) tip ; tube 

 wide ; petiole 1 ft. long ; peduncle 1 ft. long ; appendage 



tapering from the base to the tip 3. A. Murrayi. 



Leaflets petiolate with thread-like tipa which are 1-3 in. 

 long; spatho G in. long with a caudate tip 3 in. long; 

 petiole 10-14 in. long 4. A. caudaium. 



1. Arisaema tortuosum, Schott, in SchoU cj' EndVu-h. ]\leli'tem. 

 (1832) p. 17. A tall jilant reaching 3 ft. liigh ; tubers spheroidal, 

 up to 4 in. in diam. Leaves 2-3, pedatipartite ; petioles 1-3 ft. long, 

 the sheaths often mottled with purple; leaflets sessile or petiolate, 

 4-8 in. long, of variable breadth, ovate-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. 



