FLY-FLOWERS 



To the same arum fam- 

 ily, or AraceoB, belongs 

 jack-in-the-pulpit, also 

 called Indian turnip from 

 the shape of its root {Ari- 

 scema triphyllum). It is a 

 pitfall-flower. It flourishes 

 in wet swamps and my 

 observations were made 

 while standing up to my 

 ankles in water and sur- 

 rounded by a cloud of mos- 

 quitoes, from which a veil 

 gave me protection. The 

 staminate and pistillate 

 flowers are on different 

 plants. The staminate are 

 much the smaller, being 

 only 6 or 7 inches tall, 

 bloom first, and soon pe- 

 rish. The pistillate or fer- 

 tile plants are much larger, 

 often 2 feet tall. The 

 spathe is dark purple 

 striped longitudinaUy with 

 white, and ensheathes a 

 club-shaped stalk or spadix. 



Fig. 80. Arum. 

 Arum conocejphaloides 



A prison-flower. To show the arrange- 

 ment of the small flowers the front of 

 the spathe is removed. On the low- 

 est part of the spadix, or club, are the pistillate ("female") flowers, above them the first 

 ring of bristles, next the staminate ("male") flowers, and then a second ring of bristles. 

 At the bottom of the cavity are a number of midges (Ceratopogon), whose escape is pre- 

 vented by the stiff reflexed liristles of the lower ring. (After Kerner) 



167 



