394 AROIDE^E. [Ai:rM. 



1. AR'UM, L. CUCKOO-PINT, LOKDS AND LADIES. 

 Rootstock tuberous. Leaves radical, nerves reticulate ; petioles sheathing 

 at the base. Scape terete Spathe convolute, contracted above the base. 

 Spadix contracted below the middle, terminated by a naked cylindric 

 column, bearing from the base upwards, Istly a crowd of naked sessile 

 ovaries ; 2dly rudimentary ovaries ; 3dly a crowd of naked sessile 

 anthers ; 4thly stamiuodes. Anthers adnate, 2-4-celled, dehiscence 

 terminal. Ovaries 1-celled ; stigma sessile ; ovules few, basal, erect, 

 orthotropous. Berry fleshy. Seeds few, testa coriaceous thickened 

 at the hilum, albumen mealy ; embryo short, radicle opposite the hiluiu. 

 DISTRIB. N. temp, and sub-trop. regions ; species about 40. ETYM. 

 Doubtful. 



1. A. macula'tum, L. ; leaves vernal, petiole as long as the blade, 

 basal lobes J as long as the midrib, spathe twice as long as the spadix. 

 Woods and hedges, from Berwick and Roxburgh southwards ; ascending to 



1,000 ft. in the N. of England ; doubtfully wild iu Scotland ; all Ireland ; 

 fl. April-May. Corms annual, new produced at the base of the stem. 

 Leaves 6-10 in., 2-4, hastate-cordate, often spotted black, lobes acute or 

 obtuse. Scape short, lengthened in fruit. Spathe 6-10 in., erect, yellow- 

 green, edged and often spotted with purple, base persistent. Kpadix above 

 dull purple, rarely yellow. Bei-ries \ in. diam., crowded, scarlet, bursting 

 the base of the spathe. Seeds 2-3, testa reticulate. DISTRIB. Europe 

 from Gothland southwards, N. Africa. Corms yield Portland arrow-root. 



2. A. ital'icnm, Miller; leaves hibernal, petiole longer than the blade, 

 basal lobe ^ as long as the midrib, spathe thrice as long as the spadix. 



I. of Wight ; fl. July-Aug. A larger, stouter plant than A. maculatum, well 

 described by Syme, who observes that the leaves are more triangular ; the 

 epathe falls over at the top as soon as it expands ; the pistillidia are much 

 longer ; the spadix always yellow ; berries longer, and seeds larger. 

 DISTRIB. Europe, excl. Russia, from Holland southwards, N. Africa. 



2. A'CORUS, L. SWEET-FLAG. 



Rootstock creeping. Leaves radical, ensiform, equitant. Scape flattened. 

 Spathf continuous with the scape, 2-edged. Spadix lateral, terete, nar- 

 rowed upwards, covered with 2-sexual flowers. Perianth- segments 6, free, 

 membranous, oblong, persistent. Stamens 6, on the base of the segments, 

 filaments flattened ; anthers didymous. Ovary 2-3-celled ; stignia sessile 

 minute ; ovules many, pendulous from the top of the cell, orthotropous. 

 Berry 6-gonous, full of mucus. Seeds 1-3, testa thin, albumen horny ; 

 embryo green, cylindric, radicle next the hilum. DISTRIB. Europe, temp. 

 Asia; species 2-3. ETYM. Classical. 



1. A. Cal'amuK, L. ; midrib of leaf thick. 



Sides of ditches, ponds, &c. from York and Lancaster southwards, rare ; 

 naturalized in Scotland and Ireland ; fl. June-July. Leaves 3-6 ft., -l| in. 

 diam., margins waved. Scape leaf-like, in. diam. Spathe long. Spadix 

 3-4 in., fin. thick, curved. Perianth-segments not longer than the ovary. 

 Fruit obovoid, top pyramidal. DISTRIB. Europe. Siberia, Dahuria, Hima- 

 laya, N. America. Aromatic, stimulant, tonic. 1 have never seen fruit. 



