Genus 4. 



ARUM FAMILY. 



445 



1. Spathyema foetida (L.) Raf. Skunk Cab- 

 bage. Fig. 1 1 17. 



Dracontium foetidum L. Sp. PI. 967. 1753. 

 Spathyema foetida Raf. Med. Rep. (II.) 5: 352. 1808. 

 Symplocarpus foetidus Nutt. Gen. 1 : 106. 1818. 



Leaves numerous, in large crowns, i°-3° long, often 

 1° wide, strongly nerved, abruptly acute at the apex, 

 thin, entire, their petioles deeply channeled. Root- 

 stock thick, descending, terminating in whorls of fleshy 

 fibers; spathe preceding the leaves, erect, 3'-6' high, 

 1 '-3' in diameter at the base, convolute, .firm; purple- 

 brown to greenish yellow, often mottled, its short scape 

 usually subterranean, spadix about 1' in diameter in 

 flower, greatly enlarging and sometimes 6' in diameter 

 in fruit ; mature seeds 4 '-6" long. 



In swamps and wet soil, Nova- Scotia to Ontario and 

 . Minnesota, North Carolina and Iowa. Feb.-April. Skunk- 

 weed. Meadow, Swamp- or Clumpfoot-cabbage. Pole-cat 

 weed. Polk-weed. Collard. Fruit ripe Aug.-Sept, 



5. ORONTIUM L. Sp. PL 324. 1753. 



Aquatic herbs, with thick rootstocks buried in the mud, oblong-elliptic nerved leaves 

 without a distinct midvein, and slender terete scapes terminated by a cylindric spadix. 

 Spathe enclosing the spadix when very young, soon parting and remaining as a sheathing 

 bract at its base, or falling away. Flowers perfect, bright yellow, covering the whole 

 spadix. Sepals 4-6, scale-like, imbricated upon the ovary (lower flowers commonly with 6, 

 upper with 4). Stamens as many as the sepals; filaments linear, wider than the anthers, 

 abruptly narrowed above; anthers small, with two diverging sacs opening by oblique slits. 

 Ovary partly imbedded in the axis of the spadix, depressed, obtusely angled, i-celled; ovule 

 solitary, half-anatropous ; stigma sessile. Fruit a green utricle. Endosperm none ; embryo 

 long-stalked. [Ancient name of some water plant, said to be from the Syrian river Orontes.] 



A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 



i. Orontium aquaticum L. Golden-club. Floating 

 Arum. Fig. 11 18. 



Orontium aquaticum L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Leaves ascending or floating, depending on the depth of 

 water, deep dull green above, pale beneath, the blade S'-I2' 

 long, 2'-s' wide, entire, acute or cuspidate at the apex, 

 narrowed at the base into a petiole 4'-2o' long. Scape 

 6'-24' long, flattened near the spadix; spadix i'-s' long, 

 3"-4" in diameter, frequently attenuate at the summit, 

 much thickened in fruit; spathe bract-like, 2'-4' long, 

 2-keeled on the back; usually falling away early; utricle 

 depressed, roughened on top with 9 or 10 tubercles. 



In swamps and ponds, Massachusetts to central Pennsyl- 

 vania, south to Florida and Louisiana, mostly near the coast. 

 Ascends to 2000 ft. on the Pocono plateau of Pennsylvania. 

 Water-dock. Tawkin. April-May. 



6. ACORUS L. Sp. PI. 324. 1753. 



Erect herbs, with very long horiontal branched rootstocks, sword-shaped leaves, and 

 3-angled scapes keeled on the back and channeled in front, and a seemingly lateral'^ cylindric 

 spadix, the scape appearing as if extending long, beyond it, but this upper part is in reality 

 a spathe. Flowers; perfect, densely covering the whole spadix. Perianth of 6 membranous 

 concave sepals. Stamens 6; filaments flattened, much longer than the anthers; anthers reni- 

 form or sagittate, 2-celled, the cells confluent at maturity. Ovary oblong, 2-4-celled with 

 2-8 orthotropous ovules in each cell; stigma sessile, depressed-capitate. Fruit a 2-3-celled 

 gelatinous berry, few-seeded. Endosperm copious. [Name ancient.] 



Two known species, the following widely distributed in the north temperate zone, the other 

 Japanese. The following is the generic type. 



