12. CoLOCAsiA.] 132. ARACE^. 



Sckoft, in the rather shorter appendix. Rajmahal Hills, iTwrz ! This specimen is 

 called var. Fontanesii by Engler, ])ut there are only leaves, and these do not 

 correspond to Schott's descrii^tion of Fontanesii, which moreover was a Cevlon 

 plant ! 



» 



2. C. fallax, Schott. 



A very glaucous plant 12-18" high Avith stolons 12-24" long by 

 •15-'17" diam. freely rooting at the nodes. Leaves ovate or elliptic- 

 ovate obtuse or subacute and Avitli a very small cusp, 7-5-13" by 

 5-8-25", base rounded with a shallow rounded sinus, beautifully 

 glaucous beneath. Petiole longer than the blade, tapering to the 

 point of attachment where it is very slender. Spathe quite erect, 

 5-6" ; tube green -7-1" rather suddenly contracted to the yelloAV 

 very finely acuminate limb. Spadix 4-5-5", slender with a few white 

 clavate neuters shortly above the base longer than the ovaries. Feni. 

 inflor. pale yellow -6 — 8" long, ovary with oblong stigmas, flattened 

 neuters above females very few and only occvapying •1--2". Male 

 inflorescence -8" long, anthers oblong, slightly compressed Avith the 

 flat top crenulate, the crenules corresponding to the 8-9 cells, slit 

 of apical pores extending to margin. Appendage broAvn 3", tapering 

 from base upwards, smooth except near base where somewhat rugose 

 with undeveloped neuters. 



Singbhum, Ranchi and Palamau on the pats, elev. 3000 ft. ! Fl. Aug. 



I at first described this as a separate species as it differs from the descriptions 

 of C. fallax and also from some of the specimens, but it exactly agrees Avith a 

 specimen named /a;/a.r by Mr. Jf. E. Brown Avhich was grown in the KeAV Gardens 

 (origin unknown). 



L. Avith 5-6 nerves each side of midrib including one from the insertion of 

 petiole or very close to it, basal primary nerves sometimes forked and with 3 sec. n. 

 on the outer side of each primary. Sheaths on stolons inconspicuous, sea lious, 

 venose, appressed, ovate and shortly cuspidate. OA-aries ovoid, gland-dotted and 

 marked with 3 carpellary lines, walls very thiu. Ovules numerous on mucilaginous 

 parietal placentae. 



Engler (m Fflanzenreich) describes the stj'le as " brevi coronata" but it is 

 distinctly oblong stigmatic in my specimens. Schoff. {in BonjAandia, vii, 28) says 

 '• ovaria stylo Inevi sed manifesta pr?edita " but the type (Bir-panee, Terj^a Ghat, 

 Khasia Hills, H.f.) is in fruit. Some other specimens show when dry an oblong 

 style (or stigma) often surrounded at base by a small anuulus. 



13. ALOCASIA, Schott. 



Stem usually rhizomatous but sometimes rises a considerable 

 distance above the ground. Lea\^es usually very large entire, peltately 

 attached or not to the long petiole, more or less ovate and cordate or 

 sagittate. Spathe appearing Avith the leaA^es Avith a thick persistent 

 accrescent tubular base above Avhich it is contracted, then Avith an 

 erect cymbiform limb. Spadix free someAvhat shorter than the 

 spathe Avith a short female inflorescence Avithout staminodes, above 

 the female inflorescence usually flat neuters and then the male inflo- 

 rescence of free obpyramidal hexagonal synandria each of 3-5 stamens. 

 Appendage cylindric subulate or 0. Ovaries ovoid, 1 -celled, Avith few 

 to many basilar orthotropous oA'ules, stigma 2-4-lobed. Fruit enclosed 

 by the accrescent tube of spathe Avhich becomes lacerate, berry almost 

 spherical, red, few-seeded. Seeds albuminous, roundish, AA'ith thick 

 smooth testa and axile embryo. 



868 



