1H2. ARACEM. [6. Amokphophallus. 



1. P. margaritiferum, Schoft. Had. K. 



Tuber large depressed hemispherical about 3" diam. Leaf solitary, 

 rarely 2, 1-2 ft. high and 12-18" diam. digitately .3-foliolate, lateral 

 Iflts. again 2-partite and then pinnatifid into narrowh^ lanceolate- 

 sometimes forked acuminate segments with strong midrib and oblique 

 sec. n. joined by one or two intra -marginal nerves. Scape 15 in. tcv 

 2 ft. high preceding the leaves, brown-streaked and clouded below. 

 Spathe broadly ovoid or deltoid Avhen unfolded (artificially), green 

 and leathery, deep purple at base within and often flushed purple 

 above, obtuse, 3 -5-4 -5" long. Spadix exserted, 4-5-6" long, erect, 

 with a stipes above the spathe for about -o" long, the females then 

 occupying the next- '75-1". 



Common. Very common in the open forest land at Purneali. BurJcill (see 

 below). Singblium ! Ranch! ! Ma nbhum, Cam/? ! Fl. May- June. Leaves do nob 

 ajipear i^ntil the rains are well set in. 



" Had" in Kol merely means acrid, but the tubers are said to be eaten after much 

 cookino-. The neuter flowers are larg-e white and clavate up to "i-".ia" loug in some 

 specimens, or yellow and disciform in others, but the form on the same individual 

 is variable ; they are very frequently- eaten up by insects. 



The Purneah plant is named Plesmonixm BurlcUUi by Engler and Kraus. The- 

 leaf is 3-sect. with each segment 12-15" long- 2-chotomousl3' branched and cut into 

 linear somewhat tapering- lobes 3-5" long. The infrutescence stands taller than 

 the leaves. Berries red. It is difficult to sa.y where it differs from forms of 

 P. margaritiferum except that the leaf is larger than usual. 



6. AMORPHOPHALLUS, Blume. 



Herbs with bulb-like tubers and 1-few large 3-foliolate or 3-partite 

 and pinnatisect leaves appearing after flowering. Spathe eampanu- 

 late, infundibular, convolute or open, marcescent. Spadix included 

 or exserted, free, bearing dense male flowers and female flowers 

 without the interposition of neuters, spadix always produced above 

 the flowers into a large, short or long appendage. M. fl. with 2-4 

 naked sessile anthers with oblong cells and apical pores. Fem. fl. of 

 globose or obovoid 1-4-cellecl ovaries with short or long styled and 

 entire or 2-4-1 obed stigma. Ovule solitary subbasilar, anatropous. 

 Berries subglobose or obovoid. Seeds exalbuminous. Embryo- 

 macropodal. 

 Unbranched latex tubes occur in the vascular bundles of stem and petiole. 



Petiole rough with small tubercles. Spathe broad campanulate, 

 open, appendage short sinuous. Peduncle very short . . 1. campannlatni. 



Petiole smooth. Spathe with ovate cymbiform limb, appendage 

 short conoid or oblong rounded. Peduncle elongate . . 2. bulbifer. 



1. A. campanulatus, Blume, 01, H., K. ; Olna, Or. 



A very stout herb Avith the single (rarel}^ two) leaf 1-3 ft. broad, 

 3-partite with the lateral segments 2-furcate, pinnatifid with oblong 

 lobes or leaflets 4-8" long ; petiole 1-3 ft. long mottled dark and 

 light green, very stout, rough with small tubercles. Peduncle much 

 shorter than the spathe, elongating in fruit to 5-6". Spathe with a 

 campanulate tube suddenly widening into an irregular spreading 

 plicate and undulate recurved limb 6-10" broad coloured greenish 

 and purple and often blotched below with w^hite, Spadix very stout. 

 Female portion about 3" long by 2-5" diam. with crowded depressed- 



861 



