ARUM 



ASARUM 



403 



.4 r: 5^ ---:iil\5*, /^Mst 



395. Arum italicum. (XJi) 



referred here are A. nigrum, A. variolatum, A. Nord- 

 mannii, A. gratum, Schott; A. elongaluni and A. albi- 

 spathum, Ster. (not A. alhispalhum, Hort., which is A. 

 italicum). 



BB. Tuber ovoid or oblong, propagating hori- 

 zontally, the Ivs. and peduncles arising 

 from the apex: Ivs. appearing before 

 or with the spaihe. 



6. maculatum, Linn. {A. vulgare, Lam.). 



LoRDS-.\ND-L.\DIES. CuCKOO-PlNT. WaKE 



Robin (in England). Fig. 394. 

 About a foot high: Ivs. usually 

 black-spotted, hastate or sagit- 

 tate, the front lobe triangular- 

 ovate, about as high as the 

 spathe: spathe somewhat con- 

 tracted above the base, the mar- 

 gins of the limb becoming in- 

 rolled, spotted with purple: 

 spadix shorter than the spathe, 

 purple. Eu. — A hardy species, of 

 many forms. A form with spot- 

 less Ivs. and whitish tube with 

 medial purple zone, is^4. imwiac- 

 ■ulatum, Reichb., and Zelebbri, 

 Schott. Var. angustatum, Eng- 

 ler (A. intermedium, Schur. .4. 

 Mdlyi, Schott) has a narrow light 

 purple spathe, Var. alpinum, 

 Engler {A. alpinum, Schott & 

 Kotschy) has peduncles longer, 

 and an ovate-lanceolate spathe. 



7. italicum, Mill. (A. cylin- 

 drdceum. Gasp.). Fig. 395. 

 Larger than the last: Ivs. has- 

 tate, nearly truncate below, 

 light-veined: spathe scarcely swollen below, the Mmb 

 erect and not expanding and including the short 

 spadix (tip sometimes deflexed after flowering), yel- 

 lowish or white and faintly striate. Eu. B.M. 2432. — A 

 hardy species; also grown in pots. In the open, the 

 Ivs. appear in the fall. A very variable species. Var. 

 canariense, Engler (A. canariense, Webb & Berth.), 

 has narrow If.-lobes and spathe. Var. concinnatum, 

 Engler (.4. concinnatum and A. marmoratutn, Schott), 

 has broad gray-spotted Ivs. Var. byzantinum, Engler, 

 (A. byzant'iiium, Schott), has spathe-tube oblong, white 

 inside and purple at the mouth, and an acuminate pur- 

 ple or green limb. Var. albispathum, Hort., has a white 

 spathe. L, H, B. 



ARUNCUS (old name). Rosdcex. Goat's-Beabd. 

 Ornamental tall perennial herbs, cultivated chiefly for 

 the large showy panicles of white flowers and also for 

 the handsome much-divided foliage. 



Leaves bi- to tripinnate with minute or wanting 

 stipules: fls. dioecious, small; caljTc .5-lobed; petals 5; 

 stamens many; pistils commonly 3: the foUicles dehis- 

 cent, glabrous, usually 2-seeded; seeds minute, dull. — 

 Two species in N. Amer., N. and W. Eu., N. Asia to 

 Japan. Formerly usually referred to Spirasa, which dif- 

 fers chiefly in its shrubby habit, simple, rather small 

 Ivs., and 5 pistils. 



They are tall perennial herbs with large compound 

 leaves and small white flowers in slender spikes forming 

 large terminal panicles. The species in cultivation ia 

 hardy North; it prefers rich rather moist soil and grows 

 well in half-shady situations. Propagation is by seeds, 

 which germinate readily, and also by division of older 

 plants. 



Sylvester, Ko8tel.(A.Ariincus, Karsten. Spirka Ariln- 

 cus, Linn.). Tall (.5-7 ft.), erect branchy herb: Ivs. 

 large, 2-3-pinnate; Ifts. ovate to lanceolate, sharply and 

 doubly serrate, 1-2J^ in. long: fls. about J^in. across: 

 follicles deflexed in fr. May-July. Rich woods, N. 



Amer., N. Eu. and Asia. — A desirable hardy border 

 plant of easy cult. Var. KneiiBi, Zabel. Lfts. linear- 

 lanceolate, irregularly serrate or incised, long-acuminate: 

 fls. as in the type. M.D.G. 1897:260.— Very graceful 

 form with its finely cut foliage. 



.i. astilboides, Maxim. (SpirffaAruncusvar.astilboides, Maxim.). 

 Similar to the preceding, but lower and smaller in every part: lfts, 

 more deeply serrate, %-l H in. long: infl. less compound, with 

 denser oblong branchlets: follicles erect. Japan. — Apparently not 

 in cult.; the plant cult, under the name of Spirfea astilboides is 

 Astilbe astilboides, Lem., which is a true astilbe. 



Alfred Rehdeb. 



ARUNDINARIA: Bamboo. 



ARtJNDO (an ancient Latin name for A. Donax). 

 Graminex. Reed. Tall reed-like grasses with broad 

 flat blades and large plume- 

 like terminal panicles: spike- 

 lets 3-4-fld.; glumes narrow, 

 acute; rachilla naked; lemmas 

 long-pilose. — Species about 6, 

 in the warmer regions of the 

 Old Worid. 



Donax, Linn. Giant Reed. 

 Figs. 396, 397. Tall and stout, 

 as much as 20 ft., from large knotty root- 

 stocks: blades numerous, cordate-clasping and 

 hairy-tufted at base, 2-3 in. wide on main 

 St. : panicle 1-2 ft. ; spikelets 6 Unes long. G. 

 2:419. Gn. 1, p. 391; 3, p. 493; 8, p. 199; 17, p. 

 407; 27, p. 307. G.M. 50:253. G.W. 2:337; 

 3:416; 8:613. — Cult. for ornament because of 

 the regularly placed Ivs. and the large plumes. 

 A smaller less hardy variegated form with 

 white-striped Ivs. is cult, under the name of 

 var. variegata (var. versicolor; var. picla). G. 

 18:137. Var. macrophylla has large glaucous 

 Ivs. 



conspicua, Forst. f. Sts. lower and more slender: 

 blades long and narrow, 2—4 ft.: panicle 1-2 ft., silvery 

 or yellow-white; spikelets 1-3-fld. B.M. 6232. F. 

 1874:61. G. 1:344; 9:64; 19:21. Gn. 49, p. 229; 66, p. 

 121. G.M. 55:408. G.W. 15:51. Native of New Zeal.— 

 Less hardy than A. Donax. a. S. Hitchcock. 



ASARUM (ancient obscure name). Including 

 Hexaslylis. Arislolochidcese . Asarabacca. Low, nearly 

 stemless herbs, sometimes planted in wild borders and 

 used as ground-cover in shady places. 



Perennial: sts. creeping, with odd purplish or brown 

 fls. on the surface of the ground (or nearly so), under- 

 neath the heart-like or kidney-like Ivs.: corolla want- 

 ing or merely rudimentary, but calyx coroUa-Uke, with 

 a regular 3-parted limb; sta- 

 mens 12, with tips on the 

 filaments projecting beyond 

 the anthers: ovary inferior, 

 maturing into a rather fleshy 

 globular caps. — A dozen or 

 more species in the temperate 

 parts of the northern hemi- 

 sphere. The asarums inhabit 

 rich, shady woods, spreading 

 on the ground, and the fls. 

 are unseen except by the close 

 observer. They are of ea.sy 

 culture if transplanted to rich, 

 moist places. They make at- 

 tractive carpets in borders 

 and groves. The species de- 

 scribed are sold by dealers 

 in native plants. Some of the 

 species are reported to have 

 medicinal properties. Several 

 species of doubtful validity ' 



have been described from the , 



southern states. 396. Arundo Donax. 



