132. ARACE.E. [4. Lasia. 



Mayurbhaiij Muts., above 2500 ft. ! Fl., Fr. July-Nov. 



Closely allied to Rhaphidopliora and Scindapsus is the American 

 genus Monstera which includes the often cultivated Monstera dellciosa, 

 Liebm. (sometimes called Philodendron pertu.mm by horticulturists). 

 It has very large coriaceous leaves which are not only pinnatifid but 

 curiously perforated with large holes. The very long syncarps are 

 eaten in Mexico. 



3. SCINDAPSUS, Scliott. 

 Stout climbing aroids with the characters of Bhaphidophora but 

 the one-celled ovary has a single basilar ovule and the seed is exalbu- 

 minous. 



1. S. officinalis, Schott. Dhare-jhapak, S. 



A stout epiphytic climber with almost woody stems when old, and 

 large rather fleshy undivided broadly elliptic or ovate leaves 8-10" 

 by 5-6" with dilated or winged petiolar sheaths. Spathe 4-6" green 

 outside, ultimately j^ellow within terminating in a long acumen, 

 deciduous. Spadix stout, nearly as long and elongating to 6-9" in 

 fruit, with densely packed prismatic truncate ovaries grooved below, 

 the short 4-celled anthers in the grooves. 



Frequent on trees and rocks in the damper valleys of Singblium ! Ranchi 

 (Horhap forest) ! Manbhum, Camp. ! Santal Pai-g., Kurz ! Angul ! Narsingpur ! 

 Fl. June-July. Usually deciduous in the h.s. 



When leafless it is easily recognised by the stout green branchlets with white 

 annular scars and the tissues full of raphides. These are also easily seen in the 

 spathe and ovary. Leaves with rounded or cordate base. Petiole (or sheath?) 

 winged up to 6-7" in length and 1" or more wide, then a very short unwinged 

 portion (petiole proper?). Peduncle shorter than the sheath. Stigma elongate, 

 hemis]iheric in fruit. 



The fruit is applied by the Santals for rheumatism, Camp. 



2. S. aureus Engl. Syn. Pothos aurea, Lhid and Andre, is a very common 

 garden plant with leaves more or less ovate and entire, variegated a golden yellow. 

 Engler does not appear to have seen the inflorescence which should be looked for. 



4. LASIA, Lour. 

 Stout spinous marsh herbs Avith branched rhizome and long-petioled 

 hastate entire or pedately pinnatifid prickly leaves. Spathe very 

 long, naiTow, fleshy, twisted, with convolute base, deciduous. Spadix 

 short, cylindric, flowering downwards. Flowers 2-sexual. Tepals 

 4-6 obovate with truncate incurved tips. Stamens 4-6 with short 

 flat filaments and parallel extrorse anther-cells. Ovary ovoid 1 -celled 

 with stout style and depressed stigma. Ovule 1, pendulous from the 

 top of the cell, anatropous or semi-anatropous. Berries obpyramidal, 

 6-sided, top warted or muricate. Seed compressed, rugose, exalbu- 

 minous. Embryo macropodal. 

 Vascialar bundles of stem and petioles with straight latex-tubes. 



1. L. spinosa, Thivaites. Syn. Dracontium spinosum, L. ; L. hetero- 



phylla, Schott.; Kanta-saru, goJa-kanta, /v., S. 



A very prickly stout herb with thick rhizome and hastate pinnatifid 



leaves 6-18" long with the lower lobes pedate and base cordate, lobes 



1-costate acuminate, nerves prickly. Petiole erect prickly 1-4 ft. 



859 



