456 ALISMACEAE. [ Alocasia. 
The species is of Indian even! ~ its pais ee has extended both eastward eon west- 
ward to Prac pt, several Mediterranean countries, Madeira, the Canaries and the West 
Indies. Nowhere else, however, pe he. ‘nites grow to that perfection which fey avidaa 
at the Hawaiian Islands. 
2. ALOCASIA, Schott. 
Ovaries 1-celled (or sometimes 3—4-celled at the apex). Ovules few, 
: orthotropous, attached by short funes to a basilar placenta. Appendix 
conoidal, marked with reticulate furrows. Otherwise as in Colocasia. 
About 20 species, natives of tropical Asia and the Malayan archipelago. 
. A. macrorrhiza, Schott, in Oestr. Bot. Wochenbl. 1854, p. 409, and Gen. 
ye tab. 40. — A caulescent herb, the stout stem 2—4 ft. high, sending 
up eee fio the base. Leaves terminal on long petioles, sagittate- 
ovate, with the broadly Genie obtuse basal lobes or auricles distinct to 
the Sebole: 2—3 ft. in length, the stout. nerves prominent above and 
Spadices pedunculate, one or two from an axil, as long as 
shorter than the spathes, which are 6—8‘ long or more, of a pale greenish 
yellow, convolute at the base, with an oblong obtuse or shortly pointed 
tecaried blade. Flowers densely packed, the ovaries occupying about 1’ 
at the base, then about 1‘ of barren organs and 11/2--2’ of stamens, the 
obtuse reticulate appendix about 2’ or more. Staminal bodies sessile. 
Berries reddish. — Engler, in De Cand. Monogr. p. 502. — Colocasia 
macrorrhiza, Schott, Melet. — Arum maximum macrorrhizum, Herm. — 
Arum Sicrun Bcioes. Forst. in part. — Arum mucronatum, Lam, — Colo- 
casia odora, Brongn. 
e «Apii» ore Apé> of the natives, who eat the coarse farinaceous stem in times of 
searcity only. Its cu a is not carried on methodically and is restricted to small 
Ja ountain. i ower 
ers t z 
many Polynesian islands, as in the Viti and Society groups, in the latter of be it is 
Iso called «Apé». Vitian names: «Via» and commit v. Seem. in Fl. Vit. p. 
Orper XCII. ALISMACEAE. 
Perianth of 6 segments, either all similar, or the three outer ones small 
and sepal-like, the three inner large and petal-like. Stamens 6, 9 oF 
indefinite. Ovary of 3, 6 or many carpels, either distinct from the first 
or separable when in ripe fruit, each with 1, 2 or many ovules. Embry 
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