298 ENDOGENOUS PLANTS 



often dichotomous at summit, with the branches divaricate; each branch 

 bearing 3 to 5 or 6 leaflets, and always a dichotomal one in the centre, or division 

 of the petiole. Scape 6 to 12 inches high, rather slender. Spathe 1 to 2 inches 

 long, rolled into a tube, with a short erect acumination. Spadix mostly dioicous, 

 terminating in a slender tapering acute point. Berries in an ovoid cluster, round 

 the base of the spadix. 

 Hob. Low grounds; along the Brandy wine: frequent. Fl. May. Fr. Sept. 



402. PEI/TAtf'DRA, Rafin. 



[Gr. Pette, a target, and Aner, stamen ; from the peltate stamens.] 



Flowers monoicous, entirely covering the tapering spadix, which is 

 staminiferous at summit. Spathe elongated, convolute. Anthers 

 sessile, with 5 or 6 cells surrounding the margin of a thick peltate 

 connective, opening by a terminal pore. Ovary 1-celled; stigma sub- 

 sessile. Berries 1- to 3-seeded; seeds obovoid, Without albumen. 

 A stemless perennial herb : leaves on long petioles ; stapes several. 



1. P. Virginica, Rafin. Leaves oblong, mostly hastate-sagittate, 

 acute, the lobes obtuse ; spadix finally subglobose, closely invested 

 by the spathe. 



Rensselaeria Virginica. Beck. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 530. 

 VIRGINIAN PELTANDRA. 



Plant deep green. Root of " thick tufted fibres." A. GRAY. Leaves 6 to 12 or 

 15 inches long, and 2 to 5 or 6 inches wide; petioles 9 to 15 inches in length. Scapes 

 9 to 18 inches high ; spathe 2 to 3 inches long, at first subcylindric, acuminate, 

 the upper portion, and the staminate part of the spadix, at length rotting away, 

 and leaving the oval cluster of green berries embraced by the fleshy base of the 

 ppathe. 

 Hob. Miry places; Wynn's Meadows : rare. FL June. Fr. 



Obs. KALM says, "the roots often grow to the thickness of a 

 man's thigh" (which, I presume, must be an exaggeration); and 

 that the Indians eat them. I have not had an opportunity to see 

 them. 



1 1 Flowers perfect ; sepals 4 ; ovaries coalescing. 



403. SYMPL,OCAR'PITS, Salisbury. 

 [Gr. Symploke, connection, and karpos, fruit; from the coalescing ovaries.] 

 Spathe conch-shaped, acuminate. Spadix on a short peduncle-like 

 scape, oval, densely covered and tessellated with flowers. Stamens 

 4, opposite the fleshy cucullate sepals. Ovary 1-celled ; style 4- 

 sided, tapering to a minute stigma. Fruit an oval fleshy berry-like 

 mass, coalesced with the base of the persistent sepals, and imbedded 

 in the spongy receptacle. Seed globular, destitute of albumen. Pe- 

 rennial stemless herbs, with a strong blended odor (when bruised) 

 of skunk and garlic ; rhizoma thick ; leaves radical, enlarging ; spathe 

 subsessile, preceding the leaves, spotted with purplish-brown, and 

 yellow. 



1. S. foetidus, Salisb. Leaves at first orbicular-cordate, finally 



cordate-oval, on short petioles; spadix much shorter than the 



spathe. 



FETID SYMPLOCARPUS. Swamp Cabbage. Skunk-weed. 



