183 
greater part of tropical India, but it is only the cultivated forms 
which are used for food, after boiling to destroy the acrid 
properties. Immense quantities of this food are also used in 
West Indies. This, and other similar foods, take the place 
largely in the tropics of the potato in temperate climes, their 
value depending upon the starchy contents 
he dasheen, the subject of an article in the October number 
of ot JOURNAL, is now attracting considerable attention as a 
food plant, it being largely used for this purpose in the West 
Indies and in portions of the United States. This is a species 
of Colocasia, but not definitely placed as yet. 
The tropical American genus eanihe osoma, in several species 
and varieties, furnishes the yant The seeds and tubers of 
Peltandra ili the green water-arum, and the seeds of the 
skunk’s- ae foettda, were used, after cooking, 
as food - = aon American Indians. The Mexican bread- 
fruit is an aroid, known as Monstera deliciosa. It is a vigorous 
climber, well represented by two large plants in the group in 
house no. 4. The edible fruit of this vine is six to eight inches 
long and one to one and a half inches thick, and when ripe has 
a flavor and odor very similar to that of the pineapple. 
The accompanying illustration, Plate — is a view of a 
part of the collection of climbing aroids in house no. 4, range I 
Here are well shown the large vines of tropical eee which serid 
down their long roots, plainly visible in the illustration, making a 
tangle through which one must cut his way. e cut-leaved 
plant in the rear is the Mexican bread-fruit, Monstera delictosa. 
The large-leaved plant to the left is Philodendron Imbe, a native 
of Brazil; while the smaller plant in the foreground is Anthurium 
scandens, widely distributed in tropical America. Man 
cae of Philodendron and other climbing species of other genera 
make superb decorative vines, as the examples here and in con- 
servatories range 2 make quite e 
ne of the peculiar plants in is group, not in view in this 
illustration, is Monstera latevaginata, a native of tropical America. 
This was introduced into cultivation many years ago as Pothos 
