\ 





\ri 



4 



Jaiai 



earlr 



;terl 





\0 



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A^rum.2 , Cii. ARACE^. 475 



Okd. CIL ARACEJE Jw5^. 



Flowers monoecious, numerous, collected upon a spadix^ 

 which is generally enclosed within a 1 -leaved ^paif/za; barren 

 and fertile ones usually on different parts of the spadix, some- 

 Mi times intermingled. Perianth wanting. Stamens usually inde- 

 finite. Anthers turned outwards, nearly sessile ar on fiat 



filaments 



manj-celled two or more being united. — Fertile fi. Ovary 

 free, with 1 or rarelj more cells, sessile, solitary or aggregated. 

 Ovules solitary or several together, erect, horizontal^or" pen- 

 dulous. Stigma sessile or nearly so. Fruit succulent. Seeds 

 pulpy. Embryo usually with a contrary direction to the seed, 

 in the axis of fleshy or mealy (rarely without) albumen, straight, 

 with a cleft on its side for the emission of the plumule. Radicle 

 usually at the opposite extremity from the Mlum, rarely pointing 

 to It. — Leaves sheathing at the base, convolute in estivation, 

 sometimes compound, often cordate, usually with branching veins. 

 Acrid and poisonous; but if the juice is dissipated by heat, 

 or extracted by pressure, the leaves and roots become esculent ; 

 and the fecula of the latter is capable of being converted into 

 excellent bread. Thus the Colocasia esculenta, and its allied 

 species, are abundantly eaten in warm countries. 



I. A^RUM Linn. Cuckow-pint. 



Spatha convolute at the base. Spadix with the fertile flowei^ 

 at the base. Stam. (sessile) near the middle of the spadix^ 

 which is naked above. Ovides 2—6 in each carpel, horizontal. 

 iHH Stigma sessile, somewhat excentric. Berry with 1 cell and 1 

 H or few seeds. Embryo at the opposite extremity of the seed 

 . ^ from the /nVwm.— Name apov, in Greek, probably from ar or 





fi 



account of the fiery or acrid taste. 



1. A. maculdtum L. {Cuckow-pint or Wake-Robin) ; leaves 

 , , all radical hastato-sagittate, lobes deflexed, spadix club-shaped 



m oDtuse shorter than the spatha. F. B. t. 1298. 



Groves and hedges, frequent iji England ; rare in Scotland and 

 Ireland. 2/.. 4, 5. — The rliizoma affords an abundant amyla- 

 ititr ceous substance, which, if properly prepared and its acrid juice ex- 

 j(|M pressed, proves an excellent substitute for bread-flour, and is said for 

 jjji, I that purpose in great quantities at Weymouth, and in Portland Island. 



i^eaves large, shining, often spotted with black. Spatha large, con- 

 volute. Above the germens, on the spadix, is a ring or circle of 

 \ , -i-ceiled, sessile anthers, and above them another ring of apparently 



imperfect germens. The extremity of the spadix is purplish. Berries 

 persistent during winter, after the leaves and spadix have decayed, 

 cro,yded into an oblong spike of a bright scarlet colour. 



