CONTRIBUTION TO THE HISTORY OF AROIDEOLOGY. 203 
Zeylanicum spinosum,” the latter as “ Arum polyphyllum, caule scabro 
punicante,” and *Dracontium, scabro puniceo caule, radice Cyclaminis."" 
D. pertusum, collected by Plumier (Ann. 40, t. 56, 57), was made 
known in 1693; D. fætidum (Gron. Virg. i. p. 186) in 1739; and D. 
their organs of both vegetation and fructification differ essentially. 
Thus D. spinosum was called Lasia Hermanni; D. pertusum, Monstera 
_ Adansonii ; D. fætidun, Symplocarpus fotidus ; and D. Camtschatense, 
Lysichiton Camtschatense. There is but little to add to the first-men- 
tioned Dracontia. As synonyms of D. polyphyllum none can be quoted 
with certainty, except those already cited by Linneeus. Of Monstera se- 
veral species may have been known in those days, but too imperfectly 
to be intelligible. Catesby called Symplocarpus “ Arum Americanum 
beteefolio ;" Gronovius “ Calla aquatilis, odore Allii," ete. 
Calla, the third genus of Aroidee known to Linnzus in 1763, and 
to the earlier writers, though not under that name, is characterize 
(Gen. ed. ii. p. 440; 1742) in the following terms :—“ Spatha mono- 
phylla, ovato-cordata, superne colorata, maxima, patens, persistens. 
Spadix digitiformis, simplicissimus, erectus, fructificationibus tectus. 
Corolla nulla. Stamina filamenta nonnulla, germinibus intermixta, 
longitudine pistillorum, persistentia, compressa, truncata. Anthere 
simplices, truncate, sessiles. — Pistilla singula constant germine subro- 
tundo, obtuso, stylo simplici brevissimo, stigmate acuto. Bacce to- 
tidem, tetragono-globose, pulpose, uniloculares. Semina plura, oblonga, 
eylindricea, utrinque obtusa.” In additional observations he says, ** In 
alis speciebus spadix tegitur totus staminibus et pistillis mixtis. In 
which shows that Linnsus thought there might be a generic difference 
of the plants collected under Calla, which was afterwards fully confirmed. 
It cannot be ascertained with certainty when the name Calla was 
first given. Its Greek derivation seems to be undoubted, but it must 
be added that Linnzus (Phil. Trans. ed. 2, p. 197 ; 1163) ascribes it 
