XANTHOSOMA 



XANTHOSOMA (Greek, yellow body, referring to 

 the stigma). Ardcece. This genus is interesting to the 

 horticulturist as containing the handsome variegated 

 stove foliage plant known to the trade as Phyllotmnium 

 Lindeni, and part of the vegetables 

 known as "Malanga," a crop to which two 

 per cent of the arable land in Porto Rico 

 is devoted. Many species of the arum 

 family are noted for their huge tubers, 

 some of which are edible "after the acrid 

 and more or less poisonous properties are 

 dispersed by the expression of the juice, 

 or by its dissipation through heat"(B. 

 M. 4989). Of this class the" best known 

 is the Elephant's Ear, or Colocasia rs- 

 culenta. The Malanga is said to be "lit- 

 tle, if at all, inferior to Caladium escu- 

 Ifitttttn; in wholesomeness and delicacy 

 far sxiperior to spinach; and in this re- 

 spect it may vie with any European vege- 

 table whatever."— Bot. Mag. The"Yantia 

 Malanga" of Porto Rico is, according to 

 Cook, Colocasia antiquorum, var. es- 

 culenta. Other Yantias are species of 

 Xanthosoma. The botany of them is con- 

 fused. 



Xanthosoma is a genus of 25 species, 

 according to Engler, who has given an 

 account of them in Latin in DC. on 

 Phaner. vol.2 (1879). They are milky 

 herbs of South and Central America with 

 a tuberous or tall and thick rhizome: Its, 

 arrow-shaped, 3-cut or pedately cut : rls. 

 unisexual, naked : males with 4-0 sta- <';' 



mens connate in an inversely pyramidal /^s£& 



symmdrium with 5 or 6 faces: ovary 2-4- 

 loculed; ovules anatropous. ^ 



A. Caudex a short, (hick, erect rhizome. 

 sagittifolium, Schott {Arum sagittifd- 

 Hum, Linn. ). Malanga. A tropical vegetable, "Young 

 plants of this are stemless, but in age, from the decay of 

 the old lvs.. an annulated caudex is formed some inches 

 in height, each throwing out stout fibers from the base, 

 and fn»m time to time producing offsets, by which the 

 plant is easily propagated, or if suffered to remain the 



XANTHOXYLUM 



1995 



sagittate -ovate, suddenly and shortly acute at apex, 

 basal lobes obtuse: spathe large, with a creamy white 

 limb. Tropical Amer. B.M. 4989. -In northern hot- 

 houses said to bloom in winter. 



756. Xanthosoma Lind 



Caudex tuberous 



2755. Xamhorrhiza apiifolia (X %). 



plant becomes tufted, and numerous lvs. are produced 

 from the summit of the short, yet stem-like trunks" 

 (B.M. 4989). Lvs. 1-2 or almost 3 ft. long, broadly 



Lindeni, Engl. {Phyllotmnium Lind< »i. Andr6). Fig. 

 2756. Tender variegated foliage plant with large, ar- 

 row-shaped lvs. marked with white along the midrib 

 and parallel veins which run therefrom to the margin. 

 I.H. 19:88. A.G. l!»::>7:i < 1898). -Tuberous plant from 

 Colombia. G. W. Oliver, in his "Plant Culture," remarks 

 that this stove ornamental plant should be more used 

 for decorative purposes than it is at present, for it will 

 stand more rough usage than one would suppose. After 

 a goodly number of leaves have been developed in a 

 warm, moist atmosphere, the plants will maintain a 

 good appearance in a greenhouse temperature and may 

 even be used as house plants. The lvs. are firmer in 

 texture than caladium s. Prop, by division. Before re- 

 potting, put the pieces in a warm sand-bed to encour- 

 age fresh roots. Lvs. oblong-hastate, with acute basal 

 lobes. 



X. belophylhtm, Kunth, has a short, thick, erect rhizome 

 and a cordate-hastate leaf. Venezuela. Var. Caracasanum, C. 

 Kocn(X. Caracasamun, Schott. Colocasia Caracasana, Eng.), 

 has lvs. pale green beneath, the posterior lobes more produced 

 at the apex and the midrib and nerves often rosy. Caracas. — 

 X, Mafdffa, Schott (Colocasia Mafaflfa, Hort.). closely allied to 

 the preceding, lias a similar caudex and a cordate-ovate leaf 

 but the posterior costre are separated by a right or acute an- 

 gle, the angle in the preceding species being obtuse. vy p ]yj 4 



XANTHOXYLUM (Greek, zanthos, yellow, and xy- 

 lon, wood). Sometimes spelled Zanthoxylum. In- 

 cluding Fagara. Rut&cece. Prickly Ash. Tooth- 

 ache Tree. Ornamental deciduous or evergreen 

 trees and shrubs, mostly prickly, with alternate odd- 

 pinnate or sometimes simple leaves and small greenish 

 or whitish flowers in axillary clusters or terminal pani- 

 cles followed by small capsular, often ornamental 

 fruits. X. Americanum is the only species which is 

 hardy north, but some of the species from E. Asia will 

 probably prove fairly hardy in the middle Atlantic 

 states. As ornamental shrubs they are valued chiefly 

 for their fruits, but some have handsome foliage also, 

 and A', ailnnthoides- is called by Sargent one of the 

 most beautiful trees of Japan. They seem to be not 



