ARUM FAMILY. 345 



dioecious by abortion. Spadix naked and elongated above. Floral en- 

 velopes none. STAMINATE FL. of whorls of 4 or more stamens ; filaments 

 very short ; anthers 2-4 celled. PISTILLATE FL. consisting of a 1-celled 

 ovary' with a depressed stigma, containing 5-6 straight ovules, erect 

 from the base of the cell. Fruit 1 - few-seeded ; seeds subglobose, albu- 

 minous. Perennial herbs with a tuberous rhizoma ; leaves dissected ; 

 petioles elongated ; spadix on a scape ; berries orange-red. 



1. A, triphyl'lum, Torr. Leaves mostly in pairs, ternately divided, 

 the segments elliptic-ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, entire, sessile ; 

 spadix clavate, obtuse, shorter than the spathe. 



THREE-LEAVED ARIS,EMA. Indian Turnip. 



Root perennial, consisting of numerous fibres proceeding from the base of an orbicular 

 depressed rugose cormus,' or subterranean stem. Aerial stem none. Leaves mostly 2 

 (sometimes solitary), ternate ; the leaflets or segments 2 or 3-6 or 8 inches long, smooth, 

 green or often purplish, thin and membrauaceous, or almost scarious, when dried ; com- 

 mon petioles 9-18 inches long, inserted on the cormus, and embracing the central scape 

 at base. Scape 6 - 15 inches high, situate between the leaves, the base inclosed by the 

 sheathing petioles. Spathe 3 - 5 inches long, the lower half convolute, the upper half 

 (or limb) a little dilated, flat, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, and cucullately incurved, often 

 variegated with dark-purple and yellowish stripes and spots. Spadix mostly unisexual, 

 with the summit clavate, naked and smooth, much shorter than the spathe, but a little ex- 

 serted from the convolute portion. Berries numerous, in a dense oblong cluster around 

 the base of the spadix, orange-red or scarlet when mature. 



Rich shaded grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. May. Fr. August -Septem- 

 ber. 



Obs. The turnip-like subterranean stem (designated by the name of 

 Cormus}, is highly acrid in its fresh or green state ; but that quality is 

 dissipated, in a great measure, by boiling or drying. The recent tuber, 

 grated and boiled in milk, is a popular medicine in coughs and pulmonary 

 consumption. It is said to yield a starch equal in quality to that from 

 the potato, and a substance called Portland Arrowroot, or Portland Sago, 

 is prepared from it in some parts of England. A plant nearly allied to 

 this, called "Tanyer" (the Tallo, or Tarro, of the New Zealanders), is 

 said to be cultivated, occasionally, in the gardens of the Southern States, 

 for the sake of the cormus, or tuberous rhizoma, which is used at the 

 table as a substitute for the potato or yam. 



2. SYMPLOCAR'PUS, Salisb. 



[Greek, Symploke, connexion, and Karpos, fruit ; descriptive of the plant.] 



Flowers with floral envelopes, perfect. Spathe conch-shaped, acuminate. 

 Spadix pedunculate, oval, or subglobose, densely covered with flowers. 

 Sepals 4, persistent, becoming fleshy or baccate. Stamens 4, opposite 

 the sepals ; filaments linear, flattened, included ; anthers 2-celled. Ovary 

 1-celled ; ovule single ; style 4-sided, tapering to a minute terminal 

 stigma. Berries coalescing, 1-celled, 1-seeded. Seed destitute of al- 

 bumen. 



1, S, foe'tidus, Scdisb. Stemless ; leaves cordate-oval, enlarging ; spadix 

 oval. 



