ARISTOLOCUIACE^. (lilRTHWORT FAMILY.) 403 



Division HI. APETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 



Corolla none ; the floral envelopes in a single series (calyx), or 

 sometimes wanting altogether. 



Order 82. ARISTOLOCHIACE^. (Bihtiiwort Family.) 



Twining shrubs, or low herbs, tcilh perfect /lowers, the conspicuous lurid 

 cali/x valcate in the bud and coherent {at least at the base) with the 6-celled 

 ocanj, ivhich forms a many-seeded G-celled pod or berry in fruit. Stamens 

 6-12, 7no)-e or less united toith the style: anthers adnate, extrorse. — Leaves 

 petioled, mostly heart-shaped and entire. Seeds anatropous, with a large 

 flesliy rhaplie, and a minute embryo in fleshy albumen. A small family of 

 bittei'-tonic or stimulant, sometimes aromatic plants. 



1. AS ARUM, Tourn. Asaharacca. Wild Ginger. 



Calyx regular; the limb 3-cleft or parted. Stamens 12, with more or less 

 distinct filaments, their tips usually continued beyond the anther into a poiut. 

 Pod rather fleshy, globular, bursting irregularly. Seeds large, thick. — Stem- 

 less herbs, with aromatic-pungent creeping rootstocks, bearing 2 or 3 scales, then 

 one or two kiduey-shaped or heart-shaped leaves on long petioles, and terriii- 

 nated by a short-peduncled flower, close to the ground; iu spring. (An ancient 

 name, of obscure derivation. ) 



§ 1. Calyx-tube wholly cohrent tcitli the ovary, the tips injlrxed in bud : f laments 

 slender, united only icith die base of the style, much lonycr than the short anthers : 

 styles united into one, which is barely Ct-lobed at the summit, and icitli 6 radiating 

 thick stii/mas : Icaixs unspotted, a single pair, with the peduncle between them. 



1. A. Canadense, L. Soft-pubescent; leaves membranaceous, kidney- 

 shaped, more or less ])oiuted (4' -.'3' wide when full grown) ; calyx bell-shaped, 

 with the upper part of the short-pointed lobes widely and abruptly spreading, 

 brown-purple inside ; at each sinus is usually a small awl-shaped appendage 

 (abortive petal). — Hillsides in rich woods: common, especially northward. 



§ 2. Calyx-tube infated bell-shaped, somewhat contracted at the throat, only its base 

 coherent with the lower half of the ovary ; the limb 3-cleJl, short : f laments very 

 short or none : anthers oblong-linear : styles 6, feshy, diverging, 2-clefl, each far- 

 ing a thick extrorse stigma below the cleft: leaves thich'sh, persistent, usually only 

 one each year, the upper surface often whitish-mottled : peduncle very short : root- 

 storks clustered, ascending. 



2. A. Virginieum, L. l^carly glahrons ; leaves round-heart-shaped {:\hout 

 2' wide); calyx short, reticulated within; anthers pointless. — Virginia, and 

 southward, in and near the mountains. 



3. A. arifdlium, Michx. Laiveshalberd-heort-shapcd (i'-A' \o\v^); calyx 

 oblong-tubular, willi very short and blunt lobes; anthers obtusely shorl-iMiinlcd. — 

 Virginia and southward. • 



