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MONCECIA POLYANDRIA, 



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A, acaule, foliis triangularibus. Br. 333. 



No. 8.* 

 Divaricated Arum. Alton, 

 Smaller Indian Kale. Browne, 

 esculen- A. acaule, foliis peltatis cordatis, spadice 



spatha ovato-lanceolata breviore. % 



Caladinm esculentum. Wtlld. Sp. PL 4, 

 f. 489. HorU Kew. 5. p. 311. 



A. segyptium, sen Caladium sativum. 

 Rumph. Ami). 5. p. 313. t. 109. t. 110. 



* Browne considers Iiis Arum, No. 8. as the plant described 

 by Sloane, as Arum minus esculentum; and in this he has been 

 followed by Willdenow. Nevertheless they are distinct, Browne 

 describes his Arum as edible only as a g^reen; Sloane says 

 " the roots are boiled, and taste muslied or sweet." Sloane*s 

 plant is the Nut Eddoe of Barbados, the roots of which are so 

 conspicuous and valuable as food, that in this ligfht they could 

 not have escaped the notice of Browne. The Nut Eddoc, as 

 already stated, is the Arum, No. 4. of Browne. 



^ 



t This plant is certainly not a Caladium. The male flowers 

 are not disposed at the top of the si)adix, agreeably to the 

 generic character of Caladium; but the spadix ends in a 1 — 3 

 inch long nudate process. It is therefore g-encrically distinct 

 from Mr. Brown's Caladinm acre, which is undoubtedly a Cala- 

 dium, That profound botanist had an opportunity of seeing* 

 the fructification, and represents it in these words, ''^spadice 

 usque ad apicem obtusiusculum authcrifero mucronulove brevis- 

 simo nudo." — Prod. 192. 



J I do not exactly perceive how the Arum Colocasia is to be 

 distinguished from the above Arum — See Broivn. Prod. 1D2. 



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