LEMNACEiE. (duck- WEED i^AMILY.) ' 819 



* * Gorm Odate-oUong, giding off the leaves and peduncle from Us side. 

 6. A. melanopus, Boiss. 2f Petioles .3 long, black; lamina. 16 

 long and broad, triangular-hastate,, lateral lobes lanceolate, ucutish, one- 

 half 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-fifth 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. HELrlCOPHYLrl^UM, Schott. Helicophyllum. 



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

 concave. Stalk of spadix bearing rings of pistillate and staminate 

 flowers, with intervening sterile stamens, and ending in a club-shaped 

 appendix. Staminate flowers : anthers twin, 3-celled, 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 fuuicle. 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. M. Rauivolfii, Blum. If .15 to .25; lamina of leaves 

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

 others hastate, loith the middle lobe oUong -lanceolate to spathulate^ obtuse, 

 tlie lateral WAich narroicer and shorter, linear -lanceolate, sometimes bipar- 

 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 blacMsh-purple 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. H, cra§§ipes, Boiss. If .3 to .4; petiole longer than lamina, 

 often puryle-spotted, 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-oblong, obtuse, blackish-purple, more or less s^wtted and icarty, 

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

 blackish-x3urple ; interspace twice to four times as long as pistillate 

 ring, densely beset with sterile stamens — March to May — Fields ; 

 common. 



Colocasia aiitiqiiorHEii, Schott, the qalq(U^ of the Arabs, is 

 extensively cultivated for food. 



Order CXVII. LEMNACE^. (Duck-Weed Family). 



MiniUe^ stemless, leafless jplants^ floating free on the 

 loater^ consisting of afro7id^ producing one or a feio monm- 

 cious floioers from the edge or upper surface., and commonly 

 hanging roots from underneath ; ovules rising from the lase 

 of the cell. Fruit a 1^7-seeded ittricle. Seed large^ the apex 



