CLASS IV. ORDER I. 61 



A more common shrub than the two last, sufficiently distin- 

 guishable by its smaller leaves. The cymes are numerous upon 

 the branches, more or less oblong, and decidedly panicled when 

 in fruit. Calyx very minute, so as to be hardly perceptible to 

 the naked eye. The berries or drupes are white, as in Cornus 

 alba. — Low grounds. — June, July. 



65. ICTODES. 



IcTODES FcETiDus. Skunk Cabbage. 



American Medical Botany, PL xxiv. 

 Syn. Dracontitim fcetidum. L. 



POTHOS FCETIDA. Mx. 

 SyMPLOCARPUS FCETIDA. Nutt. 



A strong scented, repulsive plant, exceedingly meritorious of 

 the name it bears. The root is large and abrupt, with numerous 

 crowded, fleshy fibres. The spathe, which emerges from the 

 ground some time before the leaves, is ovate, swelling, various 

 in width, cucullate, spotted, and sometimes nearly covered with 

 dull brownish purple; the top acuminate and incurved, the edges 

 infolded, auriculate at base, and at length coalescing. Within 

 this is the oval spadix, on a short peduncle, covered with perfect 

 tetrandrous flowers, and of the same color with the spathe. 

 Calyx leaves four, fleshy, wedge shaped, truncate, the top and 

 edges inflected, the whole crowded so as to form a compact cov- 

 ering for the spadix. Stamens four, opposite the calyx leaves, 

 with subulate filaments equal in length to the calyx, and oblong 

 four celled anthers. Style four sided, tapering; stigma minute, 

 pubescent ; germ roundish, concealed Avithin the spadix. After 

 the spathe decays, the spadix continues to grow, and with it 

 every part of the flower except the anthers. When the fruit is 

 ripe, the spadix has attained many times its original dimensions, 

 while the calyx, filaments, and style are larger, very prominent, 

 and separated from each other. Within the spadix, at the base 

 of each style, is a round, fleshy seed, as large as a pea, white, 

 tinged with green and purple, invested with a separate mem- 

 branous coat, and with a prominent corculum situated in a de- 

 pression at top. 



The leaves, which spring up some time after the flowers, are 

 6 



