AKACE^. (arum family.) 427 



anthers, opening ty pores or chinks at the top. Fertile flowers consisting each 

 of a 1-ceIlcd ovary tipped with a depressed stigma, and containing 5 or 6 orthotro- 

 pous ovules erect from the base of the cell ; in fruit a 1 - few-seeded scarlet 

 berry. Embryo in the axis of albumen. — Low perennial herbs, with a tuberous 

 rootstock or conn, sending up a simple scape sheathed with the petioles of the 

 simple or compound veiny leaves, as if caulescent. (A play upon Arum, the 

 ancient name ; probably formed of apov-, Arum, and frrjua, a sign or mark. ) 



1. A. triph^llum, Torr. (Indian Turnip.) Leaves mosUy 2, divided 

 into 3 elliptical-ovate pointed leaflets ; spadix often dioecious, club-shaped, obtuse, 

 much shorter than the spathe, which is flattened and incurved-hooded at the 

 summit. (Arum triphyllum, L.) — Rich woods; common. May. — Corra 

 turnip-shaped, wrinkled, farinaceous, with an intensely acrid juice. Spathe with 

 the petioles and sheaths green, or often variegated with dark purple and whitish 

 stripes or spots (Arum atrorubens, Ait.) ; the limb ovate-lanceolate, pointed. 



2. A. Dracdntium, Schott. (Grebn Dragon. Dragon-eoot.) 

 Leaf usually solitary, pedately divided into 7-11 oblong-lanceolate pointed leaf- 

 lets ; spadix androgynous, tapeiing to a long and slender point beyond the oblong 

 and convolute pointed spathe. (Arum Dracontimti, L. ) — Low grounds along 

 streams. May. — Corms clustered. Petiole 1° - 2° long, much longer than the 

 peduncle. Spathe greenish, rolled into a tube, with a short erect point. 



2. PEI.TANDRA, Raf. Arrow ARnsi. 



Spathe elongated, convolute throughout, wavy on the margin, curved at the 

 apex. Flowers monceeious, thickly covering the long and tapering spadix 

 throughout. Floral envelopes none. Anthers sessile, naked, covering all the 

 upper part of the spadix, each of 5 or 6 cells imbedded in the margin of a thick 

 and shield-shaped connective, opening by a tenninal pore. Ovaries 1-celled at 

 the base of the spadix, bearing several (orthotropous ?) ovules at the base : stig- 

 ma nearly sessile. Berries distinct, 1 -3-seeded. Seed obovate, surrounded by 

 a tenacious jelly, somewhat amphitropous, with the raicropyle superior, the base 

 empty, the upper part filled with a large and fleshy spherical embryo, the plu- 

 mule superior, and no albtmien. — A stemless herb, with arrow-shaped leaves 

 and simple scapes from the root of thick tufted fibres. Upper part of the spathe 

 and the sterile portion of the spadix rotting away after flowering, leaving the 

 fleshy base firmly enclosing the globular cluster of green berries. (Name com- 

 posed of tteXti;, a target, and avffp, fbr stamen, from the shape of the latter.) 



1 . P. Tirginica, Raf. (Arum Tirginicum, L. Lecontia, Torr. Rens- 

 sclseria. Beck.) — Swampy borders of ponds and streams ; common. June. — 

 Leaves large, pointed ; nerves reticulated next the margin. (It seems to have 

 escaped attention that this plant has an exalbuminous corm-like embryo, nearly as 

 in Symplocarpus.) 



3. .CAIiliA, L. Water Arum. 



Spathe open and spreading, ovate (abruptly pointed, the upper surface white), 

 persistent. Spadix oblong, entirely covered with flowers; the lower perfect; 

 the upper often of stamens only. Floral envelopes none. Filaments slender : 



