364 



ARACEAE. 



5. ORONTIUM L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Aquatic herbs, with thick rootstocks buried in the mud, oblong-elliptic nerved leaves 

 without a distinct midvein, and slender terete scapes terminated by a cylindric spadix. 

 Spathe enclosing the spadix when very young, soon parting and remaining as a sheathing 

 bract at its base, or falling away. Flowers perfect, bright yellow, covering the whole 

 spadix. Sepals 4-6, scale-like, imbricated upon the ovary (lower flowers commonly with 6, 

 upper with 4). Stamens as many as the sepals; filaments linear, wider than the anthers, 

 abruptly narrowed above; anthers small, with two diverging sacs opening by oblique slits. 

 Ovary partly imbedded in the axis of the spadix, depressed, obtusely angled, i-celled; ovule 

 solitary, half-anatropous; stigma sessile. Fruit a green utricle. Endosperm none; embryo 

 long-stalked. [Ancient name of some water plant, said to be from the Syrian river 

 Orontes.] 



A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 



i. Orontium 



aquaticum L,. 



(Fig. 882.) 



Golden-club. 



Orontium aquaticum L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Leaves ascending or floating, depending on the depth 

 of water, deep dull green above, pale beneath, the blade 

 5 / -i2 / long, 2 / -5 / wide, entire, acute or cuspidate at the 

 apex, narrowed at the base into a petiole 4 / -2o / long. 

 Scape 6 / -24 / long, flattened near the spadix; spadix i / -2 / 

 long, 3 // ~4 // in diameter, frequently attenuate at the 

 summit, much thickened in fruit; spathe bract-like, 2 / ~4 / 

 long, 2-keeled on the back; usually falling away early; 

 utricle depressed, roughened on top with 9 or 10 tubercles. 



In swamps and ponds, Massachusetts to central Penn- 

 sylvania, south to Florida and Louisiana, mostly near the 

 coast. Ascends to 2000 ft. on the Pocono plateau of Pennsyl- 

 vania. April-May. 



6. ACORUS L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Erect herbs, with very long horizontal branched rootstocks, sword-shaped leaves, and 3- 

 angled scapes keeled on the back and channeled in front, and a seemingly lateral cyliudric 

 spadix, the scape appearing as if extending long beyond it, but this upper part is in reality 

 a spathe. Flowers perfect, densely covering the whole spadix. Perianth of 6 membranous 

 concave sepals. Stamens 6; filaments flattened, much longer than the anthers; anthers reni- 

 form or sagittate, 2-celled, the cells confluent at maturity. Ovary oblong, 3-4-celled with 

 2-S anatropous ovules in each cell; stigma sessile, depressed-capitate. Fruit a 2-3-celled 

 gelatinous berry, few-seeded. Endosperm copious. [Name ancient] 



Two known species, the following widely distributed in the north temperate zone, the other 

 Japanese. 



i. Acorus Calamus L. Sweet Flag. 

 f TOI Calamus-root. (Fig. 883.) 



Acorus Calamus L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Leaves linear, erect, 2-6 tall and i' wide or less, 

 sharp-pointed and sharp-edged, with a ridged mid- 

 vein running their whole length, 2-ranked, closely 

 sheathing each other and the scape below. Spathe 

 a leaf-like extension of the scape projecting > 

 beyond the spadix; spadix spike-like, 2'-$}4 / long, 

 about Yt f in diameter, compactly covered with 

 minute greenish-yellow flowers. 



In swamps and along streams. Nova Scotia to < 'ti- 

 tan o and Minnesota, south to Louisiana and K 

 Also in Europe and Asia. In our territory fruit is 

 rarely, if ever, formed. The hard ovary is usually 

 found to be imperfect, with 2 or 3 abortive cells and 

 ovules. The plant is propagated by its large root.-' 

 which furnish the drug Calamus. Interior of stalk 

 sweet. May-July. 



