394 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY 



AROIDE^E 



Example : 



CALADIUM BICOLOR, Ait. the common Caladium of 

 our gardens, cultivated on account of its varied foliage. 

 Leaves direct from the tuberous root-stock, simple 

 petioled, sagitate or hastate, entire, net-veined. 



Flowers minute, unisexual, and without perianth 

 (naked), crowded on fleshy spadix enclosed at first in 

 large white spathe. Lower third of the spadix of 

 ovary flowers only, each consisting of a two or three- 

 celled ovary, with axile placentation, and topped by 

 a minute stigma ; fruit of each flower a berry, with 

 oblong seeds containing straight embryos. Upper 

 two-thirds of the spadix with closely fitting peltate 

 structures, consisting of the stamens of a flower 

 fused together, their anthers dependant below without 

 perianth. 



CHARACTERS OF THE AROIDE^E 



The AROIDE.E vary a good deal in their vegetative 

 character. Some are small others large, some have a 

 tubeous root-stock or rhizome, some are climbing plants, 

 others again are marsh plants, many have latex. The 

 leaves are alternate, generally with distinct petiole 

 and blade, and in some with net-venation. They are 

 at once distinguished from all other families by the 

 flowers being massed together on the fleshy axis of 

 a spadix, enclosed at least at first in a spathe. The 

 perianth consists of two to four scales or may be 

 absent altogether. The stamens number two to six, 

 the ovary is one to three-celled with small stigma. 



