258 ARACEAE (arum FAMILY) 



head enveloped by the base of the leathery spathe. — Stemless herbs, with arrow- 

 shaped or hastate palmately 3-nerved and pinnately veined leaves, and simple 

 scapes from a thick fibrous or subtuberous root. (Name from ttAt?;, a small 

 shield, and dj/Tjp, for stamen, from the shape of the latter.) 



1. P. virginica (L.) Kunth. Scape 2-3.5 dm. high, about equaling the 

 leaves ; basal lobes of the leaves rather long and often acutlsh ; spathe convolute 

 throughout, wavy on the margin, mostly green ; sterile portion of the spadix 

 several times longer than the pistillate ; ovules several ; fruit green ; seeds l(-3). 

 (P. undulata Raf.) — Shallow water, s. Me. to Ela., w. to s. Ont., Mich., and 

 Mo. June. 



3. CALLA L. Water Arum 



Spathe ovate (abruptly pointed, the upper surface white), persistent. Lower 

 flowers perfect and 6-androus ; the upper often of stamens only. Filaments slen- 

 der ; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise. Ovary 1-celled, with 5-9 erect 

 anatropous ovules. Berries (red) distinct, few-seeded. — A low perennial herb, 

 growing in cold bogs, with a long creeping rootstock, bearing heart-shaped long- 

 petioled leaves, and solitary scapes. (An ancient name, of unknown meaning.) 



1. C. palustris L. — Cold bogs, N. S. to N. J., w. to Mich, and Minn., and 

 northw. June. — Seeds surrounded with jelly. (Eurasia.) 



4. SYMPLOCARPUS Salisb. Skunk Cabbage 



Stamens 4, opposite the sepals, with at length rather slender filaments ; 

 anthers extrorse, 2-celled, opening lengthwise. Style 4-angled and awl-shaped ; 

 stigma small. Ovule solitary, suspended, anatropous. Fruit a globular or ovoid 

 mass, composed of the enlarged and spongy spadix, inclosing the spherical 

 seeds just beneath the surface, which is roughened with the persistent fleshy 

 sepals and pyramidal styles, — Perennial herb, with a strong odor like that of 

 the skunk, and also somewhat alliaceous ; a very thick rootstock, and a cluster 

 of very large and broad entire veiny leaves, preceded in earliest spring by the 

 nearly sessile spathes, which barely rise out of the ground. (Name from 

 ^vfiirXoKT], connection, and Kapiros, fruit, in allusion to the coalescence of the 

 ovaries into a compound fruit.) 



L S. foetidus (L.) Nutt. Leaves ovate, cordate, becoming 3-6 dm. long, 

 short-petioled ; spathe spotted and striped with purple and yellowish-green^ 

 ovate, incurved. (Spathijema Raf.) — Bogs and moist grounds, N. S. to N. C, 

 w. to Ont., Minn., and la. 



5. 0R6NTIUM L. Golden Club 



Spathe incomplete and distant, merely a leaf-sheath investing the lower part 

 of the slender scape, and bearing a small and imperfect bract-like blade. Lower 

 flowers with 6 concave sepals and 6 stamens ; the upper ones with 4. Filaments 

 flattened ; anthers 2-celled, opening obliquely lengthwise. Ovary 1-celled, with 

 an anatropous ovule. Fruit a green utricle. — An aquatic perennial, with a 

 deep rootstock, and long-petioled entire oblong and nerved floating leaves. 

 (Origin of the name obscure.) 



1. 0. aquaticum L. — Ponds, Mass. to Fla. May. 



6. ACORUS L. Sweet Flag. Calamus 



Sepals 6, concave. Stamens 6 ; filaments linear ; anthers kidney -shaped, 

 1-celled, opening across. Ovary 2-3-celled, with several pendulous orthotropous 

 ovules in each cell. Fruit at length dry, gelatinous inside, 1-few-seeded. 

 — Aromatic, especially the thick creeping rootstocks (calamus of the shops). 

 Leaves sword-like ; the upper and more foliaceous prolongation of the scape 

 may be considered as a kind of open spathe. ("A/copas, the ancient name, of no 

 known meaning.) 



1. A. Calamus L. Scape leaf-like and prolonged far beyond the (yellowish- 

 green) spadix. — Margins of rivulets, swamps, etc. (Eurasia.) 



