ARACE/E. 217 



Class II. MONOCOTYLE'DONS. 

 For characters of the C]ass see Part I., chap. xv. 



I. SPADIC'EOUS DIVISION. 



Flowers aggregated on a sjmdix (Part I., sec. 94), with 

 or without a spathe, or sheathing bract. 



Order XCIV. ARA'CE.ffi. [Arum Family.) 



Herbs with pungent juice and simple or compound leaves, 

 tliese sometimes net-veined and hence suggesting that the 

 plants may be Dicotyledons. Spadix usually accompanied 

 by a. spathe. Flowers either without a perianth of any 

 kind, or with 4^6 sepals. Fruit usually a berry. 



Synopsis of tlic Genera. 



* Leaves not linear. Flowers without perianth of any sort. Spadix 



accompanied by a spatlie. 



1. Arlsse'ma. Flowers mostly dioecious, collectedon the lower part of 



the spadix only. Spathe (in our common species) arched over the 

 spadix. Scape fi-om a solid bulb. Loaves compound, net-veined, 

 slieatbing the scape below with their petioles. Berries bright red. 



2. Peltan'dra. Flowers monoecious, covering the whole spadix; 



anthers aJ)ove, ovaries below. Spathe convolute throughout, 

 wavy on the margin, mostly green. Leaves arrow-shaped. Scapes 

 from a root of thick fibres. Fruit a fleshy green berry, 1-3 seeded. 



3. Calki. Flowers (at least the lower ones) perfect, covering the whole 



spadix. Spathe open and spreading, with a white upper surface, 

 tipped with an abrupt point. Scape from a creeping rootstock. 

 Leaves not net-veined, simple, heart-shaped. 



* * Leaves not linear. Flowers with «. perianth of ^ sepals. Spadix 



surrounded by a spatlie. 



4. Syniplocar'piig. Leaves all radical-, very large and veiny, appear- 



ing after the spathes, which are close to the ground and are pro- 

 duced very early in spring. Flowers perfect, their ovaries im- 

 • mersed in the spadix, the latter globular and surrounded by the 

 shell-shaped spathe. Sepals hooded. Stamens 4. Fruit consist- 

 ing of the soft enlarged spadix in which the seeds are sunk. 



