4. Colocasia.] 9b. ABACEM. [5. Alocasia. 



cordate leaves with a tubular green thick accrescent lower 

 portion of the spathe and a convolute yellow upper portion or 

 limb. The male and female portions of the spadix separated 

 fey flat neuters* 



Damp banks and among rocks frequent. Often oultivated. Fls. Aug.- 

 Oct) Fl. with the leaveB. 



Very variable. Prain keeps C. nymphseifolia, Kunth, distinct, and 

 characterizes it as having a bronze margin to the leaves and a dark 

 yellow spathe, while C. Antiquorum has leaves quite green and pale 

 yellow spathe. .The following wild forms of the latter occur :— 



0. L. green 10" by 7", petioles over 18". Peduncle 6-10", green tube 



3", limb 6" yellow-white. F. portion of infloresoence 1", neuter 

 portion 2" and M. 1" with appendage 4", some neuters also below 

 the appendage. Root fibrous. Wet places. 



b. ti. 7" rather glaucous beneath with a very fine green nervation 



petiole 10". Peduncle 4£", tube 1|*, limb 4" yellow. F. portion 

 of inflorescenoe only %". Root tuberous. Among rooks. 



c. L. deep purple beneath. Banks of streams in Saranda forest? 

 The plant is eaten as a vegetable. 



5. Alocasia, Schott. 



Distinguished from Colocasia by the characters given in 

 the key. The rootstock is more often sub-erect or erect and 

 sometimes even forms a distinct stem. 



Leaves distinctly peltate. 



L. sagittate with basal lobes connate about 



frd their length . . . . 1. fornicata. 

 L. sagittate with basal lobes connate about 



i^th their length . . . .2. macrorrhiza. 



L. not or only slightly peltate . . . .3. indica. 



1. A. fornicata, Schott. 



A stout herb with strongly 3- nerved leaves 18" by 10" or 

 larger, shining, cuspidate. Basal lobes not half as long as 

 the terminal. Petiole, 2-3 ft. Spathe 3J" only consisting of 

 a green tube 1* and an expanded whitish-green limb 2|" long, 

 dblong cuspidate as long as the spadix. 



Along muddy sluggish streams in dense forest Fls. July-Aug. 

 552 



