AKACE^. (arum family.) 439 



or less united. Stigmas acute, stigmatic on the inner face. Drupes 1-3, one- 

 seeded. Embryo dorsal, in horny somewhat ruminated albumen. — Low palms, 

 with fan-like long-petioled leaves, destitute of thread-like filaments. Sheaths 

 soon dry and net-like. Spadix dense-flowered, branching. Spathe 2 - 4-leaved. 

 Flowers yellowish. Drape globose or ovoid. 



1. C. Systrix, Fraser. (Blue Palmetto.) Stem short, proliferous; 

 leaves circular in outline, with numerous 2 - 4-toothed divisions, on triangular 

 rough-edged petioles; sheaths persistent, composed of oblique fibres interwoven 

 with numerous erect strong spines ; spadix small, short-ped uncled ; spathes 

 about 4, oblong, woolly, acutely 2-lipped ; petals ovoid ; drupe ovoid. — Low 

 shady woods in the lower districts, Florida to South Carolina. June and July. 

 — Stem 2° - 3° long, erect or creeping. Leaves somewhat glaucous, 3° - 4° 

 high. Spadix 6'- 12' long. Partial spathes none. Drupe 6"- 9" long. 



Ordek 135. ARACEiE. (Arum Family.) 



Acrid chiefly stemless herbs, from tuberous or creeping rootstocks, with 

 entire or divided often veiny leaves, and perfect or monoecious flowers 

 borne on a spadix, and commonly enclosed in a spathe. — Calyx and 

 corolla wanting, or the former with scale-like sepals. Stamens short, 

 hypogynous : anthers extrorse, commonly sunk in the thick connective. 

 Ovary 1 - several-celled, with 1 - several ovules in each cell. Stigma ses- 

 sile. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Embryo straight. Albumen mealy or 

 fleshy, sometimes wanting. 



Synopsis. 



* Calyx and corolla none. Spadix enclosed in a spathe. Flowers monoecious. 



H- Fertile flowers numerous. Spadix free. 



1. ARIS^^MA. Spathe thin, convolute at the base, arching above. Spadix barren above. 



Leaves 3 - several-lobed. 



2. PELTANDRA. Spathe (green) thick, convolute throughout, wavy on the margins. Spa- 



dix flowering throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



3. XANTIIOSOMA. Spathe convolute at the base, open and white above. Spadix flowering 



throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



H-' 4- Tertile flower solitary. Spadix adnata to the spathe. 



4. PISTIA. Tree-floating aquatics. Fertile flowers solitary. 



* « Calyx manifest. Flowers perfect. 

 .)- Spadix enclosed in a spathe. 



6. SYMPLOCARFITS. Spathe thick and fleshy, convolute, pointed. Spadix globular. Sepala 



and stamens 4. 



^ •*- Spadix naked. 



6 ORONTIUM. Spadix terminating the club-shaped white-topped scape. 



7. ACORUS. Spadix attached to the side of the flattened leaf-like scape. 



1. ABIS.ffiMA, Mart. Indian Tuknip. 



Spathe convolute helow, dilated and commonly arched above, withering. 

 Spadix covered below with monoeciotis flowers (the lower ones fertile), elon- 



