3202 



SPATHIPHYLLUM 



SPATHIPHfLLUM (Greek word, referring to the 

 leaf-like spathes). Aracese. Stemless or short-stemmed 

 herbs, used as warmhouse foliage plants. 



Leaves large, oblong or lanceolate, acuminate or cus- 

 pidate, midrib strong: spathe If .-like, membranaceous, 

 oblong or lanceolate; spadix shorter than the spathe, 

 sessile or stipitate, cylindrical, densely fld.: fls. her- 

 maphrodite, all fertile; perianth-segms. 4, 6, or 8, con- 

 nate or coherent in a truncate or lobed cup; stamens 4, 6, 

 or 8; ovary oblong, 3-4-celled: berry globose or oblong- 

 conical, 3-celled, cells 1-2-seeded. About 27 species, 

 mostly from Trop. Amer., one or two Malayan. Mono- 

 graphed by Engler and Krause in Engler's Pflanzen- 

 reich, hft. 37 (IV. 23B), 1908. Gardeners recommend as 

 soil for their cult, a mixture of leaf-mold, peat, and 

 fibrous loam, together with some sand and charcoal. 



A. Petals free, 6-8, in 2 rows, sometimes stuck together, 



never connate; stamens 6-8, rarely 4 or 5; ovary 

 3-4-celled, oblong, style pyramidal, more or less 

 exserted, coronate. 



Section ETJSPATHIPHYLLTJM. 

 B. Ovary-cells 8-, 6-, or 4-ovuled. 

 cochlearispathum, Engler (S. heliconiifolium, Schott). 

 Caudex short: Ivs. thin, membranaceous, broadly 

 oblong, margin usually slightly undulate, base rotund- 

 ate or subcordate, 20-30 x 8-10 in. : spathe oblong, 6-12 

 in. long, base more or less acute, apex gradually nar- 

 rowed to a cusp, somewhat decurrent on the peduncle. 

 Mex. I.H. 21:189. 



BB. Ovary-cells 2-ovuled. 



blandum, Schott. Lvs. elliptic-oblong or oblong, 

 acute, base rather suddenly narrowed and concaved, 

 10 x 4 or more in. : spathe pale on both surfaces, ellip- 

 tic-oblong, about 3 in. long, base suddenly narrowed, 

 apex cuspidate-acuminate, narrowly decurrent on the 

 peduncle. Dutch Guiana. 



AA. Petals free; ovary shortly obpyramidal, hexagonal, 

 top truncate, style not at all distinct. 



Section AMOMOPHYLLUM. 



B. Petiole about equaling or slightly shorter than blade. 

 floribundum, N. E. Br. Lvs. oblong-elliptic or oblong- 

 lanceolate, base obtuse finally abruptly contracted to a 

 knee or acute, apex acute, about 6x3 in., upper sur- 

 face rich green, lower paler: spathe white, oblong- 

 lanceolate, about 3 in. long, long-cuspidate; spadix 

 yellow-green or whitish. Colombia. I.H^21:159 (as 

 Anthurium floribundum) . F. 1880, p. 76. 



BB. Petiole almost twice as long as blade. 

 Patinii, N. E. Br. (S. cdndidum, N. E. Br.). Lvs. 

 elongate-lanceolate, both ends long-narrowed, apex 

 very acute, 8-9 x 1^-2^ in.: spathe whitish, oblong- 

 lanceolate, about 2% x %in. Colombia. I.H. 27:397. 

 F.M. 1875:160. F. 1879, p. 19. 



AAA. Petals connate in a 6-angled cup which is truncate 

 or 6-lobed; stamens 6; ovary obovoid or ovoid and 

 3-celled, top rather flat; cells 2-, 4; 6-, or 8-ovuled. 



Section MASSOWIA. 



cannaefolium, Schott; also spelled cannifolium 

 (Pothos cannsefdlia, Dry. S. cdndicans, Poepp.). Lvs. 

 membranaceous, ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, base 

 rather gradually running down to a knee, apex short- 

 acuminate, slightly unequally so, 12-32 x 4-6 in., upper 

 surface dark green, shining, lower paler and dull: 

 spathe stiffly membranaceous, outside green, inside 

 white, lanceolate, or elliptic-oblong, 4J^-8 in. long, base 

 suddenly narrowed, scarcely decurrent, apex short- 

 cuspidate; spadix greenish or yellowish. W. Indies. 

 Colombia. B.M. 603. 



Hybrid, unbiassed. 



hybridum, N. E. Br. A hybrid between S. cannae- 

 folium and S. Patinii. Petioles 6-8 in. long; If .-blades 

 broadly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 8-9 in. long: spathe white on both sides, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, 4-5 in. long; spadix 2 in. long. I.H. 29:450. 

 G.C. II. 19:500. 



S. Ghiesbreghtii, Hort., is offered in the trade, but is unknown 

 botanically. S. pictum, Hort. Lind.=Rhodospatha picta. 



F. TRACY 



SPATHODEA (Greek, spathe-like, referring to the 

 shape of the calyx). Bignonidceae. Two or 3 evergreen 

 trees native of Trop. Afr. with large odd-pinnate oppo- 

 site or sometimes ternate Ivs., the Ifts. entire, and with 

 large fls. in terminal panicles or racemes: calyx large, 

 split on one side and recurved, exposing the corolla to 

 the base; corolla large, broadly campanulate and ven- 

 tricose ; stamens 4, exserted but shorter than the corolla, 

 with spreading and pendulous anther-cells; disk large, 

 cup-shaped; ovary oblong, with the ovules in several 

 rows: caps, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate at the ends, 

 loculicidal with woody valves; seeds elliptic, broadly 

 winged. The spathodeas are handsome evergreen trees 

 with large pinnate foliage and large and very showy 

 orange-red or scarlet fls. They can be grown only in sub- 

 tropical or tropical countries and demand rich and 

 well-drained soil with sufficient moisture during the 

 growing period; they are rarely grown in greenhouses, as 

 they need much space and do not bloom until they have 

 attained a large size. Prop, is by seeds or by cuttings. 

 See also Rodermachia for cult. 



campanulata, Beauv. Tree, to 70 ft., glabrescent: 

 Ivs. 1-1 Yi ft. long; Ifts. 9-19, short-stalked, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, abruptly short-acuminate, entire at the base 

 with 2 or 3 fleshy glands, glabrous or somewhat pubes- 

 cent beneath while young, 2-4 in. long: fls. scarlet, in 

 many-fld. racemes or panicles; calyx coriaceous, boat- 

 shaped, recurved, 2^ in. long; corolla about 4 in. long, 

 with ovate, plicate, and somewhat undulate lobes; 

 ovary papillose: caps. 8 in. long, glabrous. Trop. Afr. 

 B.M. 5091. F.S. 8:830. J.F. 4:388. G.C. III. 50:458. 



nilotica, Seem. Shrubby tree, to 20 ft.: branchlets 

 pubescent: Ivs. J^-1H ft. long; rachis pubescent; Ifts. 

 9-15, ovate-oblong, short-acuminate, entire, glabrous 

 above, densely pubescent or tomentose beneath, 1J4-4 

 in. long: fls. almost like those of the preceding species, 

 in short dense racemes; calyx densely tomentose, 1J4~2 

 in. long. Cent. Trop. Afr. H. Johnston, Uganda pro- 

 tectorate, 1 : 68. In its smaller size this tree has an 

 advantage over the preceding species the fls. of which 

 are usually borne so high on the tree as to be almost out 

 of sight. 



S. lasvis, Beauv., is now referred to Newbouldia which differs 

 from Spathodea chiefly in the shape of the calyx which incloses the 

 base of the corolla and is split on one side and 2-lobed at the apex, 

 and in its funnelform-campanulate corolla, the inclosed stamens 

 with parallel anther-cells: caps, elongated-linear with leathery 

 valves; seeds with the wing emarginate on one side. N. laetis, 

 Seem. (Spathodea speciosa, Brongn.). Shrub or tree, to 40 ft., 

 nearly glabrous: Ivs. opposite or ternate, 1-2 ft. long; Ifts. 7-13, 

 ovate-oblong, obtusely acuminate, serrate, glabrous or nearly so, 

 3-8 in. long: fls. white with purple spots or pink or purple, in dense 

 terminal panicles; calyx oblong, 2-lobed at the apex, j-l in. long; 

 corolla 2-2 }^ in. long, limb slightly 2-lipped with spatulate-obo- 

 vate lobes. Trop. W. Afr. B.M. 4537. J.F. 1:51. F.S. 6:634, 

 H.U. 5:357. The bark has medicinal properties. S. pentdndra. 

 Hook. (B.M. 3681), is apparently a form of N. Isevis with 6-lobed 



Eale purple corolla and 5 stamens. S. speciosa, Brongn. =New- 

 ouldia laevis. ALFRED REHDER. 



SPATHO GLOTTIS (Greek, spathe and tongue; said 

 to refer to the shape of the lip). Orchidacese. Plants 

 agreeing with Bletia in habit and form of inflorescence; 

 terrestrial orchids of the Old- World tropics, mostly with 

 numerous flowers. 



Pseudpbulbs broadly conic, 1-3-lvd. : Ivs. elongate, 

 long-petioled, narrow, plicate, articulated: scape 

 lateral, bearing large fls. in a terminal raceme: sepals 

 free, subequal; petals similar or broader and longer; 



