426 ARACEJE. (ARUM FAMILY.) 



CLASS II. MONOCOTYL^DONOUS OR EN- 

 DOGENOUS PLANTS. 



Stems with no manifest distinction into bark, wood, and 

 pith ; but the woody fibre and vessels collected into bundles 

 or threads which are irregularly imbedded in the cellular tis- 

 sue : perennial trunks destitute of annual layers. Leaves 

 mostly parallel-veined (nerved) and sheathing at the base, 

 seldom separating by an articulation, almost always alter- 

 nate or scattered and not toothed. Parts of the flower com- 

 monly in threes. Embryo with a single cotyledon (and the 

 leaves of the plumule alternate). 



ORDER 112. ARACE^E. (ARUM FAMILY.) 



Plants with acrid or pungent juice, simple or compound often veiny leaves, 

 and monoecious or perfect flowers crowded on a spadix, which is usually sur- 

 rounded by a spathe. Floral envelopes none, or of 4-6 sepals. Fruit 

 usually a berry. Seeds with fleshy albumen, or none but filled with the 

 large fleshy embryo in Nos. 2, 4, and 5. (A large family, chiefly tropical.) 



Synopsis* 



* Spadix surrounded by a spathe. 

 *- Flowers naked, i. e. destitute of any floral envelopes. 



1. AKIS2EMA. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, covering only the base of the spadix. Spath* 



convolute below. 



2. PELTANDRA. Flowers monoecious, covering the whole surface of the spadix ; the anthers 



above, the ovaries below. 



3. CALLA. Flowers perfect (at least the lower ones), covering the whole surface of the short 



spadix. Spathe open and spreading. 



H- +- Flowers with a regular calyx. 



4. SYMPLOCARPUS. Flowers perfect, covering the whole of the oval spadix, each with a 



calyx of 4 hooded sepals, all combined into one mass hi fruit. 

 * * Spadix naked (not surrounded by any spathe). Flowers perfect and with a calyx. 



5. ORONTIUM. Spadix terminating a naked scape. Stamens 4-6 : anthers 2-celled. 



6. ACORUS. Spadix bursting from the side of a leaf-like scape. Stamens 6: anthers 1-celled. 



1. A EMS JEM A, Martius. INDIAN TURNIP. DRAGON- ARUM. 



Spathe convolute below and mostly arched above. Flowers by abortion dioe- 

 cious, or monoecious, covering the base of the spadix, which is elongated and 

 naked above. Floral envelopes none. Sterile flowers above the fertile, consist- 

 ing of whorls of 4 or more stamens, with very short filaments and 2 -4 -celled 



