204 CONTRIBUTION TO THE HISTORY OF AROIDEOLOGY. 
arundinacea radice Plinii,” Lobel, Stirp. Obs. p. 328 (1576); “ Arum 
Athiopicum,” Herm. Lugd.-Bat. 60 (1687); “Arum aquaticum,” 
Johren hodeg. 32 (1710) ; and “ Provenzalia palustris,” Petit, Gen. 45 
(1710 
Three species of Calla were enumerated by Linnzeus, viz. C. palus- 
tris, orientalis, and Ælthiopica : the first known since Pliny’s, the se- 
cond since Rauwolff’s (It. H. 8; 1573), and the third since Hermann’s 
times (Lugd.-Bat. 60; 1687). But this genus, too, retains at pre- 
sent only one species, C. padustris, to which alone the definition given 
does apply. C. Mthiopica is the type of the genus Richardia, and 
orientalis was referred to Ischaris as I. Carsaami, under which ap- 
pellation it is popularly known in its native country. As a synonym 
of Calla thiopica (Richardia Africana) must be mentioned Arum 
Americanum, * Ari vulgaris facie, foliis carnosis,” of Micheli (Cat. 
ort. Florent. 9,t. 2; 1748), as taken up by Linnzus in the 
‘Species Plantarum.’ Calla aquatilis of Gronovius was referred by 
Linneus to Dracontium fætidum, the Symplocarpus fetidus of the pre- 
sent day, to which it properly belongs. 
Pothos is the fourth genus under consideration, and its character 
must be sought in Linneus’s ‘Flora Zeylanica, nova genera, p. 3 
(1747):—* Call. spatha globosa, monophylla, altero latere hians. Spadix 
brevis, simplicissimus, reflexus, globosus, tectus fructificationibus ses- 
silibus. Perianth. 0, nisi corollam sumas. Cor. petala 4, cuneiformia, 
oblonga, erecta. Stam. filamenta 4, latiuscula, erecta, petalis angus- 
tiora, ejusdemque longitudinis. Anthere minime. Pistilli germen 
parallelepipedum, truncatum. Stylus 0. Stigma acuminatum. Peri- 
carpium. Bacce aggregate.” In the fifth edition of the * Genera Plan- 
tarum,’ p. 415 (1754), is added, “(Bacce aggregate) subrotunde, 
l-loeulares. Semen unicum ;" which may be termed truth mixed with 
error. The first mention of the true Pothos is found in Theophrastus 
(H. p. vi. 7). The plant thus designated remained unknown to u3; 
and it is only the similarity of sound of the Cingalese name, “ Potha," 
of the species first made known, that led to the re-application of the 
Greek word. As early as 1688, Rheede had represented the habit of 
the genus; also Rumphius in 1690; but total want of any description 
ROSE ee 
of the structure of flower and fruit prevented the elucidation of its — 
relationship. Rheede mentions the genus under the name of Ana- 
parua (Hort. Mal. vii. t. 40); Rumphius under Appendix duplofolio seu — 
