I 24 XANTHOSOMA SAGITTIFOLIA. ARROW-LEAVED SPOONFLOWER. 



the past age would have called our plant an Arum. In the 

 earlier part of the present century, it was regarded as a 

 Caladium, and Nuttall refers to it in 1S1S as Caladium sagitti- 

 folium. Rafinesque, about Nuttall's time, placed it in his 

 genus Peltandra. Schott, in his revision of Aracece in 1832, 

 created the separate genus Xanthosma ; and although this is 

 not accepted by some of the best German botanists, who still 

 regard several of Schott's s^nera as identical with Caladium, 

 the division seems to be recognized by American botanists as a 

 sound one, and we have followed their judgment accordingly. 



There is a difference among authors as to the orthography. 

 Some have it Xanthosma, and others Xanthosoma, — Greek 

 words, the first meaning " yellow odor," and the second " yellow 

 body"; but the first is unintelligible, and the application of the 

 last not apparent. Dr. Chapman has Xanthosoma in the body 

 of his work, and Xanthcsmia ("yellow banner") in the index. 

 However, we must leave this question to the linguists to decide, 

 and shall adopt Xanthosoma as the name most in favor with our 

 people. Sagittifolia is from the resemblance of the leaves to an 

 arrow-head. 



The species seems to have no generally recognized common 

 name, but its local name in North Carolina, according to a 

 communication from Dr. Thos. F. Wood, of Wilmington, in 

 that State, is Arrow-leaved Spoonflower. The same English 

 appellation, Spoonflower, was also adopted for the genus by 

 Dr. Curtis, late State botanist of North Carolina, in his " Cat- 

 alogue of Indigenous Plants." 



We have already noted that the plant is used as a vegetable. 

 Dr. Lindley tells us that a starchy substance, called " chou 

 caraib " in the country where it is extracted, is prepared from 

 the roots. 



Explanation of the Plate. — i. Expanded spathe, showing the male flowers in the centre 

 of the spadix. — 2. Scape, with faded spathe. — 3. The same, with portion of the spathe 

 cut away to show the position of the immature fruit on the spadix. 



