AEOIDE^. 507 



beaked, mneli shorter than the carpophore. — Reicheni. Ic. Germ. 7. t. ]7.— R. didyma, 

 Sw. I : a monstrosity, with some of the carpophores united in pairs. K. brevipes, Bertol. : 

 a short-peduncled form. — Peduncles at length elongated, spirally twisted at the base or 

 short and straight.— Hab. Antigua I, Wullschl., in shallow sea^water; Trinidad I, Cr.; 

 [S. Barthelemy I, Guadeloupe ! ; Sandwich islands 1 ; both temperate zones of the globe]. 



3. NAJAS, L. 



Flowers naked, unisexual, sessile. Stamen 1. Ovary 1 : stigmas several. Embryo 

 straight. — Wholly submersed, branched herbs ; leaves sessile, sheathing at the base, op- 

 posite; flowers solitary or clustered. 

 1/^ 4. N. major, Jll. Leaves broadly linear, sinuate-dentate with mucronate teeth : sheath 

 entire ; flowers dioecious ; " anther subsessile, 4-valved." — Hab. Antigua !, Wallschl. ; 

 [Europe !, Asia, Sandwich islands], 



4. THALASSIA, Sol. 



Flowers " ^tBBhsma, (J on a filiform spadix," (? imknown). " Sepals Z. Anthers^, 

 (12, iJacAaM.)"— Wholly submersed, marine herbs ; leaves rosulate, grasslike ; " spadix 

 mth a bifid spathe, exserted" 



5. T. testudinum, Koin. Ehizoma creeping ; leaves broadly linear, (about 1' long), 

 exterior marcescent ; spadix central.- — Habit of Posidonia australis, which is hermaphrodite 

 and has few stamens. — Hab. Jamaica !, March, gregarious on the bottom of the sea ; [Ca- 

 ribbean islands !]. ' 



CXXVIII. AEOIDEJl. 



Flowers apetalous or naked, crowded on a spadix, which is supported by a spathe, rarely 

 subsolitary with the spadix reduced. Pericarp mostly baccate. Embryo included in amy- 

 laceous albumen or exalbuminons : plumule developed, mostly exserted. — Herbaceous or 

 woody plants, often epiphytes or scandent ; leaves often rosulate, with a large blade. 



The acrid principle of this Order is often regarded as poisonous : the leaves, when chewed, 

 produce an inflammation of the mouth, as is known of Dieff'enbachia Seguine (the Dumb 

 Cane). The fleshy underground stems of several, when roasted, become eatable, e.g. the 

 Coco-root (Colocasia), yielding a quantity of starch, the turiones and leaves of Xanthosoma. 

 Of some species of Jnthurium and Philodendron the fibre is used. 



Teibe I. OBONTIACEJE. — Flowers hermaphrodite Cor partly unisexual), covering the 

 spadix to its summit, usually provided with a calyx. 



1. ANTHUKIUM, Schott. 



Spadix free from the persistent, recurved spathe. Calyx 4-leaved. Stamens 4. Ovary 

 2-celled : cells 2-1-ovulate. Seeds albuminous. — Large-leaved herbs or scandent, rooting 

 shrubs; leaves or leaf-segments pointed: petiole tumid at the summit; spathe narrow, 

 often green. 



§ 1. Scandent shrubs ; leaves alternate ; peduncles axillary. — " Ovary-cells 3- 

 ovulate" (a Kch:). 



1. A. violaceum, Schott! Leaves chartaceous, elliptical or elliptical-lanceolate, en- ' 

 tire, 1-nerved, shortly petioled : midrib filiform beneath: veins joined by 2 arches, 1 dis- 

 tant from the margin ; spadix short, erect, flowering nearly to the base, exceeding the lan- 

 ceolate-acuminate spathe.— &Ao«, Gen., t. 94 : anal.— Voi)ios, Sw.— Stipular sheaths dis- 

 solved into persistent flbres, covering the internodes; leaves 3"-4", spadix about 1" longi 



a. Leaves elliptical; berries yvM.-^Kth:N. Gen. 1. 19. Desc. Fl. Lt. 499. 



21.^ 



