LHMNACE^. (OUCK-WEED FAMILY.) S^O 



=*= * Gorm Odate-oUong, rjiving of the leaves ami jjedunclefrom Us side. 

 6. A. iiiclaiiopiis, Boiss. 21 Petiolos .3 long, black; lamina. 10 

 long and broad, triangular-hastatCj lateral lobes lanceolate, acutish, oue- 

 lialf to one-third as long as terminal. Peduncle black, much shorter 

 than petioles; spathe .3 to .25 long, green with purple margin, tube 

 ovate, inflated, one-fourth to one-jifih as long as lanceolate- acuminate 

 lamina; spadix half to two-thirds as long as spathe, appendix brown, 

 club-shaped, longer than stalk; ring of pistillate flowers twice as long 

 as staminate; sterile stamens few between rings, numerous above, 

 deflexed, long setaceous — June — Aleppo to Aintab. 



4. HEI.ICOPIIYL.I.UM, Schott. Helicopiiyllum. 

 Spathe convolute at base into an ovate or oblong tube, lamina 

 concave. Stalk of spadix bearing rings of pistillate and staminate 

 flowers, Vv'ith intervening sterile stamens, and ending in a club-shaped 

 appendix. Staminate flowers : anthers twin, 2-eelled, the connective not 

 elongated, the cells dehiscent by a slit toward tip. Pistillate flowers : 

 ovary 1-celled, 2-ovuled. Ovules orthotropous, erect, basilar, attached 

 by a short funicle. Sterile stamens subulate, between the staminate 

 and pistillate flowers. Berry usually 1-seeded — Cormous herbs, with 

 more or less dissected, hastate leaves, appearing with the flowers. 



1. H. Kauwolfii, Blum. 2f .15 to .25; lamina of leaves 

 scarcely longer than petiole, the lowest ovate to ovate-cordate, the 

 others hastate, with the middle lobe ollong -lanceolate to spathulate, oltuse, 

 the lateral much narrower and shorter, linear-lanceolate, sometimes l)ipar- 

 tite or more or less dissected. Peduncle shorter than petioles ; spathe 

 whitish without, tube ovate, half to one-third as long as oblong-lanceo- 

 late lamina, the latter llacI:ish-2mrpJ.e within ; spadix half as long as 

 spathe, appendix short-stalked, obtuse, blackish-purple; interspace 

 twice to thrice as long as pistillate ring, beset with long, sterile stamens 

 — April — Fields; Aleppo to Aintab, Marash, and north-eastward. 



2, II, cra§§ipcs, Boiss. 2f .2 to .4; petiole longer than lamina, 

 often imrijle-s])otted, lamina ovate in outline, pedately parted into 7-9, 

 twisted, linear-lanceolate, lateral lobes, the intermediate segment 

 linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate. Peduncle shorter than petioles, 

 much thickened at tip ; spathe with a thick, oblong tube, open to base, 

 whitish-green or purple-spotted without, two-thirds to one-half as long 

 as ovate-oUong, obtuse, blackish-purple, 7norc or less spotted and icarty, 

 lamina; spadix shorter than spathe, appendix cylindrical-club-shaped, 

 blackish-purple ; interspace twice to four times as long as pistillate 

 ring, densely beset with sterile stamens — March to j\[ay — Fields; 

 common. 



Colocasiti aiitiquoruiii, Schott, the qaJqih^ of the Arabs, is 

 extensively cultivated for food. 



OhderCXVII. LEMIVACEiE. (Duck-Weed Family). 



JlimUe, ste7)iless, leafless f)l<^f^is, floating free on the 

 water, consisting of a frond, f)vodiicing one or a few monoa- 

 clous floxoers from the edge or ujyper surface, and commonly 

 hanging roots from underneath ; ovules rising from the hase 

 of the cell. Fruit a \A-seeded utricle. Seed large, the apex 



