ARISJEMA. 231 



Analysis. The Stem. The base of the plant is enlarged 

 into a kind of bulb, which being solid (not made up of scales) 

 is called a corm. The shape of this bulb has given to it the 

 common name of Indian Turnip. It consists of starchy mat- 

 ter pervaded by a fluid fiercely acrid to the taste, and well mer- 

 iting the name " Dragon-root." * Encircling the edge of the 

 corm is a row of fibrous roots. Evidently the corm is the stem; 

 there is no other. A scape and 2 leaf -stalks arise from the 

 corm, the former inclosed below by the sheathing bases of the 

 stalks. The leaves are 2, trifoliate. The leaflets are often as 

 large as 4' by 6', ovate, inclining to rhombic, entire, acuminate. 

 The venation is pinnate and netted, with marginal veins. 



Inflorescence. The scape varies in height from 6' to 

 2 feet, but is never so high as the leaves. At the top is a 

 club-shaped inflorescence called spadix, protected by a lar^e 

 bract named spathe. The spathe is convolute below and 

 inflected above, colored with stripes of purple within. The 

 spadix is naked and brown above, bearing the flowers below. 



The Flowers are monoecious ( 8 , monos, one, oikos, house) 

 b, c, sometimes dicecious (dis, two, oikoi, houses), d, e. When 

 together, the $ are above the ? , and consist of 4 or more ses- 

 sile anthers opening at the top. The 9 fertile flower is 

 merely a 1-celled ovary with flat stigma and 2 or more ovules 

 erect from the bottom of the cell (g*). 



A section of the seed (g) shows a straight embryo in the 

 midst of fleshy albumen with only 1 cotyledon. The fruit 

 is a mass of scarlet, several-seeded berries. 



The Name of this plant is Arismma triplfyllum Ari- 



* The starch in many species of this plant is used as food. In the days of Queen 

 Elizabeth it furnished the stiffening for the enormous lawn ruffs then worn by gen- 

 tlemen and gentlewomen. These became so large that it is said the Queen placed a 

 guard at the city gates to cut down any ruffs that were over a yard wide. They needed 

 a very strong starch, such as was made from this root ; though it was, says the old 

 herbalist, "most hurtfull to the hands of the laundresse, for it chappeth, blistereth 

 and maketh the handes rough and withall smarting." 



