1696 



SPATHOGLOTTIS 



SPERGULA 



Vieillardi, Keidib. f. ( -S. Awjas/orntH , Rcichb. f . , . 

 Fig. 2;jr.y. Lv^. Imi-r-lanceulatt:', aciiminatr, ]-:J ft. long: 

 scape ]2-lS in. liiL^h, rnl'U^t : raceme ll in. long, broad, 

 corymb-like at first : lis. LI in. Lirross, very pale lilac, 

 nearly white; sepals and [M'tals ovate-oblon^'. subacute; 

 labellum us long as thr sepals, lateral lobrs oraiige- 

 !>rown, with orange ealli sprckb^l witli rrd. middk' lobe 

 narrow, with a broadened tip varialde in form. New 

 Caledonia. B.M. 7tH:i. AM. lii;'.i:i. A.V. i\-JV.'A.-S. 

 aurco-VieiUdrdi, Hort , is a hybrid betwem Ibis and -S. 

 aiirt'ci. Fls. pale chrome-ytdlow, with the sepals slightly 

 and the petals profuselv'dotte<l with crimson, ibe tips 

 of the lo!)e.s of thie lip rich crimson. G.(.'. lU. li:i::iO'J. 

 G.M. 41:308. 



S. KimhaUiana, Hook,, is <,ften reL:,'n-dea as :i variety of S. 

 aurea, I'l-uin wliieh it ditlers in havini,' I lie I);i(dvS of the sepals 

 mottled with rr.M>n.\vn, the erest j^lal.rens. and n.'UTnuer Ivs. 

 'QM,1UZ. — S. I'Ctcdta. v;ir. Mirli<>lil:ii\ is advertised hy S^iii- 

 der. Fls. amethyst eolr>r, with the se^nients l>roaWer than in 

 the t3'i>e. Haliit more dwai'f. 



IIi:rxKTi'K llASSELBKfNG and Tv. 'M. Gkkv. 



SPATHYEIMA (Tireek; referring to the> spat he). 

 .i/vb.-,-r. Sktnk t'u--.nA'4E. Skuidv Gabbage is an ex- 

 ceptionally inlerrstiuL;' plant. In tlie Kast, it is the Hrst 

 wild flower of the year, though it is oftener considered 

 a weed than a llowm- Ity those who have notliiug but 

 contempt for it. It is a hardy swamp-loving perennial 

 herb wliicb pushes up its fascinating hooded spathes in 

 midwinter or even before the tir.st of Jannary in favored 

 situations. Tiie spathes are 3-G in. high, usually grow 

 in clamps, and the variation in their coloriui;- is a never- 

 failing deliglit. They are mottled with purplish brown 

 ami greenish yellow, the former color sometimes be- 

 coming- bright red, the latter ranging from dark green 

 to Itright yellow. These spathes are produi'(-d several 

 weeks before the leaves a]i]"iear, and they inclose odd 

 flowers which are described below in detail. Just 

 when the Skunk Ca])bage Howe-rs is a matter of much 

 debate; the stamens are generally out in February or 

 March. The Im.mkIs retain their beauty for months. In 

 April or May they decay and tlie strong-growing leaves 

 soon attain a height of 1~3 ft. and a breadth of 1 ft. or 

 more. All parts of the plant give a strong, skunk-like 

 odor, hut only when bruised. A young plant uprooted 

 is a pietures([ue object. Its thick, horizi.)]ital rhizome 

 emits ;,'reat nnnd)ers of strtmg, fleshy, rope-like roots. 

 The preseuei; of the rank foliage of Skunk Cabbage is 

 generally considered a sign of wet, sour soil unfit for 

 gardeidnt,^ 



.Skunk ( 'abbaire is offered by a luimber of dealers in 

 har'dy plants, as also by r-<dh;ef-(>rs. There is a consid- 

 eialil'' demand for it outside (.>f its native regit:m, and 

 p:iri.ieularly in England, where the "bog garden" idea 

 has been ile\"ehiped and has tlie most supporters. 

 Skunk Cahh:ii,''e has ina<le a stron^c impress upon Amer- 

 ican literature. Its hardim-ss and bravery have been 



-iS 



2350. Skunk Cabbage, as the hoods come up in spring, — 

 Spathyema fcetidafX iri), 



cqlebrated by oufrh.or writers from Thoreau to the 

 present day. The MUesfion of its pollination has been 

 much discussed. It w;is ]->uii: su|iposiMl to be itollinated 

 by the addon of the carrion dies whicli a.ro attracted by 

 its odor. However, Trelease iias shown that the bees 



are liusy with the pollen while the plant is in tiower and 

 that the carri<m flies mostlj- come later. Skunk Cabbage 

 has long been known as Symplocarpus, but this name 

 must ,i;-ive way to the older one given by Eafinesque. 



(.-leui-ric (diaracters: s]iadix globose or oblong, entirely 

 covered by fls,, the o\-ai-ies of which are embedded in 

 the spailix; perianth of 4 hooded sepals; antliers 2- 

 celled; style pyramidal, ■4-sided : ovary ] -loculed. with 

 a solitary, suspended, anatropous ovule; berries in 

 large heads, 1-seeded. Only one species. 



ftKtida, Raf. [SympJocdrpus fafidus, Nutt.). Skunk 

 Cai-ibaue. Fig. 23G0. Lvs. numerous, 1-3 ft. lorjg, 1 

 ft, wide, ovate, strongly nerved: spathe preceding the 

 Ivs., colored as described above: fr. ripe Aug., Sept. 

 Nova Scotia to Minn., south to Fla. and Iowa. B.M. 

 KU; {Pofhns fo'fida); 32l>4. ¥.23:180. G.W.F. 27. D. 

 277. A.G. 14:3fJ7. B.B. 1:3(33. --The Siberian plant is 

 probably the same species. ^7 jj 



SPATTER-DOCK, ynph 



idiunui. 



SPEARMINT. 



Jh'NiJu, 



SPEAR-WOOD. J'Juralf/phi.s duraloxiilon. 

 SPEARWORT. Certain species of Ea nunmlus. 



SPECULARIA (from SinmhuH Veneris, meaning 

 Venus' Looking-glass ) . Va in jxninlf'ict'Ae. Venus' Look- 

 iNii-uLASS [Spernhtriii SpfC/iluiii } is a pretty little 

 hardy annual herb with 5-lobed blue flowers not quite 

 an inch across. The plants grow about 9 in. Ijigh, bloom 

 in spring and summer and are desirable for edging 

 dower beds. They are of easy culture. See Atninals. 



Specularia is a geims of about 7 species closely allied 

 to Campanula but differing by the very lung calyx-tuhe, 

 ovary and capsule. The long calyx-tube is one of the 

 most conspicuous features of the i>lant and has perhaps 

 served to suggest the handle of the mirror. There is 

 one North American species, S. perfoJiafa, which dif- 

 fers from all the rest in having perfoliate Ivs. and the 

 capsule dehiscing laterally near the middle instead of 

 near the calyx-lobes. It is a weed. The others are Old 

 World herbs, small and annual, with the lower Ivs. oho- 

 vate and entire, the upper ones ovate-oblong or lanceo- 

 late and nearly entire. Calyx-tube linear, 1 in. or so 

 long: limb .5-parted, the segments linear ami as long as 

 the corolla-lobes; corolla nearly wheeI-sbap<Ml or broadly 

 bell-shaped; stamens free from corolla: ovary 3-Iocn!cd: 

 stigma slundly 3-lol")ed. 



A, Prd>furJrs ah"ut 3-fhl. 



Speculum, J>(\ {Oawpi'nniJu ^^IpeoiJum , lAu-i^.}. Ve- 

 nus' L,ooKiNu-(>LASs. Fig. 23G1. Erect, 9 in. high: ca- 

 lyx glabrous or pubescent, the tube constricted at the 

 apex; lobes finally refiexed, according to DeCandolIe. 

 Europe. B.M. 102. — Var. procumbens is offered abroad 

 in addition to white, lilac and doultle forms. R.H. 1897, 

 p. 234. 



AA. P.'duru-JeR J-fhI. 



pentag"6ma, DC. Calyx pilose, lobes spreading. Asia 

 Minor. B.R. 1:56. — This species is not now advertised 

 in America. Some specimens have narrow Ivs. and 

 longer calyx-tube than *S. Speculmu. An interesting 

 feature of this species (and perhaps others) is the 5- 

 angled flower-buds. w. M. 



SPEEDWELL. rernnlr<,, 



SPELT. See TrUi-.-mu. 



SPfiRGULA (Latin spargere, to scatter; the seeds 

 are said to be expelled). Cai-yopJii/Udcew. A genus of 

 3-8 species of annual herbs including Spurrt, which 

 see, a forage plant adapted to poor, dry, sandy soils. It 

 is a common weed in cultivated lands. It grows about 

 G in., has linear Ivs. which appear to be whorled, and 

 bears numerous, small, white, 5-petaled lis. in summer. 

 The fis. are al)Out i^ in. across and borne in terminal 

 panicles. Important generic characters of Spergula arc 

 the. small, scarious stipules, 5 styles, alternating with 

 the sepals, and capsule - valves o]-)posite the scpalf^- 



