i8 



Introduction to Botany. 



Tripsacum dactyloides, L. (Gr., dakfylos, finger ; eidos, resemblance.) GAMA 

 GRASS. Stems 4 to 8 feet tall ; spikes single or several, branching from a common 

 base. One of our largest grasses. Moist soil. 



CYPERACE^. SEDGE FAMILY. 



Grasslike or rushlike herbs with fibrous roots ; sometimes perennial 

 by elongated rootstocks. Stems 3~4-angled, rounded or flattened, 

 usually solid. Leaves alternate and 3-ranked, sheathing at the base, 

 and not split open down one side as in grasses. Flowers perfect or 

 imperfect in i -many-flowered spikelets ; i flower in the axil of each 

 of the glumes or bracts. Style 2-3-cleft ; fruit an acheme, flattened, 

 lenticular, or 3-angled. Stamens usually 3. The chief genera are 

 Cyperus, Ele6charis, Scopus, and Carex. (See Figs. 342-345.) 



ARACE^E. ARUM FAMILY. 



Herbs with long-petioled, simple, or compound leaves, rising from a 

 corm or tuberous rootstock ; sap usually very pungent. Flowers monoe- 

 cious or dioecious and densely crowded on a spadix which is usually 

 surrounded by a spathe (see Fig. 346). Stamens 4-10 with short fila- 

 ments ; ovary i -several-celled, with i-several ovules 

 in each cell. Fruit usually a berry. Sepals and 

 petals usually absent. 



ARISAEMA. Indian Turnip. Dragon Arum. 

 (Gr., arz's, a kind of arum, and haima, blood.) 



Leaves deeply divided, rising on long petioles 

 from a corm, and sheathing the base of the simple 

 scape. Flowers covering the lower part of an elon- 

 gated spadix; spathe convolute below and over- 

 Inflorescence of Aris- hanging above. (Fig. 346.) Flowers monoecious 

 aema. A the spathe, or dioecious, destitute of calyx or corolla. Ovary 

 shovrin 11 the^ow containing 5 or 6 orthotropous ovules rising from a 

 ers clustered at the basal placenta. Fruit a globose red berry. 



base of the spadix, 



St i. Arisaema triphyllum, Torr. (L., //-*)%//#;, s-leaved, 



from Greek tri, three; phyllon, leaf.) INDIAN TURNIP. 



Jack-in-the-pulpit. Leaves 3-foliate with ovate, entire segments. Spathe green 

 with purple stripes, broad and overhanging at the summit. Rich woods. 



2. Arisaema Dracontium, Schott. (Gr., drakon, snake, or dragon.) GREEN 



FIG. 346. 



