(ARUM FAMILY.) 439 



or less united. Stigmas acute, stigmatic on the inner face. Drupes 1-3, one- 

 seeded. Embryo dorsal, in horny somewhat ruminated albumen. Low palms, 

 with fan-like long-petioled leaves, destitute of thread-like filaments. Sheaths 

 soon dry and net-like. Spadix dense-flowered, branching. Spathe 2-4-leaved. 

 Flowers yellowish. Drupe globose or ovoid. 



1. C. Hystrix, Fraser. (BLUE PALMETTO.) Stem short, proliferous; 

 leaves circular in outline, with numerous 2 - 4-toothed divisions, on triangular 

 rough-edged petioles ; sheaths persistent, composed of oblique fibres interwoven 

 with numerous erect strong spines ; spadix small, short-peduncled ; spathes 

 about 4, oblong, woolly, acutely 2-lipped ; petals ovoid ; drupe ovoid. Low 

 shady woods in the lower districts, Florida to South Carolina. June and July. 

 Stem 2 -3 long, erect or creeping. Leaves somewhat glaucous, 3 -4 

 high. Spadix 6' -12' long. Partial spathes none. Drupe 6" -9" long. 



ORDER 135. ARACE^. (ARUM FAMILY.) 



Acrid chiefly stemless herbs, from tuberous or creeping rootstocks, with 

 entire or divided often veiny leaves, and perfect or monoecious flowers 

 borne on a spadix, and commonly enclosed in a spathe. Calyx and 

 corolla wanting, or the former with scale-like sepals. Stamens short, 

 hypogynous : anthers extrorse, commonly sunk in the thick connective. 

 Ovary 1 - several-celled, with 1 - several ovules in each cell. Stigma ses- 

 sile. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Embryo straight. Albumen mealy or 

 fleshy, sometimes wanting. 



Synopsis. 



* Calyx and corolla none. Spadix enclosed in a spathe. Flowers monoecious. 

 *- Fertile flowers numerous. Spadix free. 



1. ARISJSMA. Spathe thin, convolute at the base, arching above. .Spadix barren above. 



Leaves 3 - several-lobed. 



2. PELTANDRA. Spathe (green) thick, convolute throughout, wavy on the margins. Spa- 



dix flowering throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



3. XANTHOSOMA. Spathe convolute at the base, open and white above. Spadix flowering 



throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



- H- Fertile flower solitary. Spadix adnate to the spathe. 



4. PISTIA. Free-floating aquatics. Fertile flowers solitary. 



* * Calyx manifest. Flowers perfect. 

 +- Spadix enclosed in a spathe. 



5. SYMPLOCARPUS. Spathe thick and fleshy, convolute, pointed. Spadix globular. Sepals 



and stamens 4. 



-i- +- Spadix naked. 



6. ORONTIUM. Spadix terminating the club-shaped white-topped scape. 



7. ACORUS. Spadix attached to the side of the flattened leaf-like scape. 



1. ARISJEMA, Mart. INDIAN TURNIP. 



Spathe convolute below, dilated and commonly arched above, withering. 

 Spadix covered below with monoecious flowers (the lower ones fertile), elon- 



