34 THE ARUM FAMILY. 



to a point. The spadix is much shorter. The leaves are sagittate, quite 

 broad, with basal lobes that diverge widely. But a glance at this humble 

 plant is enough to recall its relatives, the cultivated calla lily and the quaint 

 water arum, Calla palustris, of, however, a more northern range. 



P. Virginica, %\Q.(t\\ arrow-arum, another bog herb, has sagittate leaves 

 which, however, are much narrower than those of the preceding species. 

 The spathe also is very distinctive, being green, long, and very closely 

 wrapped about the whole length of the shorter spadix. Its margins are 

 strongly undulated. Even when ripe the berries are a decided green. The 

 plant is not at all local in its range, but occurs at various points from Louisi- 

 ana and Florida to Maine, 



GREEN DRAGON. DRAGON=ROOT. {Plale XL) 

 Ar/scB/na Dracdnliin/i. 



Flowers : minute, yellowish, growing at the base of a spadix which extends into 

 a slender appendage sometimes seven inches long and greatly extended beyond 

 the spathe. Spathe: convolute, greenish, opening to the base, the lid being 

 pointed and upright. Fruit : an ovoid bunch of orange-red berries. Leaves: sol- 

 itary, long i^etiolecl, extending high above the flowers; pedately divided into many 

 obovate or oblanceolate leaflets, pointed at the apex and sessile or extending into 

 short, margined petiolules; entire; thin; smooth. Scape: sheathed at the base 

 with silvery, membraneous scales. Cortns : clustered. 



This very odd-looking plant which is not, however, rare along streams or in 

 moist woods, is a near relative of Jack-in-the-pulpit, Aristxma triphylhwi, 

 an individual too familiarly known to need any introduction. Besides the 

 dissimilarity in their leaves, for it will be remembered that the preacher bears] 

 two leaves of three leaflets each which tower above his head, it is interesting] 

 to regard separately their spadixes. That of Jack-in-the-pulpit is so short 

 that the top of the spathe could easily close down over it, while that of the, 

 green dragon extends outward, as can be seen by the illustration, to a great 

 length. Even the flowers of the staminate plants, which are higher on the| 

 spadix than those of the pistillate ones, never appear above the part en- 

 wrapped by the spathe, so the rest of it must be purely for the purpose ofj 

 attracting attention. The leaves which are grotesquely formed are said toj 

 kindle a vivid imagination into seeing the claws and foot of a dragon, while] 

 "fiercely acrid " has been the term applied to the corms' juices. 



A. quinatitni, still of this group, is a large, bold- looking plant with either] 

 one or two leaves which are divided into from three to five large oval, oi 

 elliptical, leaflets. Its spadix does not protrude above the spathe whicl: 

 often measures seven inches long. The plant grows in the mountains of] 

 Georgia and extends to North Carolina. 



