A R U 



A R U 



5n threads or tendrils, in two rows, ifTuinj from the middle 

 of the fpadix. Slam, filament none; each anther felTilc, four- 

 cornered. * Female flov/ers on the lower part of the fpadix, 

 clofe to each other. Cnl. fpathe and fpadix common to them 

 with the males; perianth proper none. Cor. none. Pift. 

 germ each obovate; ftyle none; lligma bearded. Per. beriy 

 globular, one-celled. Seetis, feveral, roimdifh. 



Elf. Gen. Char, fpathe one-leafed, cowled; fpadix naked 

 above, female below, ftamineous in the middle. Species : 

 * JVilhout Jleins ; leaves compound. 



I. A. cr'mitum, hairy (heathcd arum ; " leaves pedate, with 

 the lateral fegments involute ; fpathe hairy within ; fpadix 

 ramentaceous above ;" root leaves cut into feven par.ts, 

 which are lanceolate, nerved, middle part lars^cil ; the firft 

 leaves are fagittate, or five-cleft, various ; petioles roimd, 

 fheathing at bottom, fcape very (hort, round ; fpathe as in 

 the common arum ; fpadix fubcylindrical, a little Tnorter 

 than the fpathe ; club mar:y times longer than the other 

 parts, having remote viulct-co'oured briilles fcattered over 

 it. The flower fmellsflrung like carrion, by which flies are 

 enticed to enter, but wiien they would retreat, the reverfcd 

 hairs prevent them, and they are there llarved to death. It 

 is a native of Minorca, and introduced in 1777, by Mr. Mal- 

 colm. It flowers in March. 2. A. dracunculus, long 

 (heathcd arum or common dragon, " leaves pedate, leaflets 

 lanceolate, entire ; lamina ovate, longer than the fpadix ;'' 

 this has a large tuberous flcfliy root, which in the fpring 

 puts up a (Iraight ftalk about three feet high, fpotted like 

 the belly of a inake ; at the top it fpreads out into leaves, 

 which arc cut into feveral narrow fegments almoft to the 

 bottom ; at the top of the ftalk the flower is produced, 

 which is in fliape like the common arum, ha\-ing a very long 

 fpathe, of a dark purple colour, ftanding ereft, with a large 

 fpadix of the fame colour, fo that when it is in flower, it 

 makes no unpleafuig appearance, but the flower has fo ftrong 

 a fcent of canion, that few perfons can endure it. It is a 

 native of the fouthern parts of Europe, flowering in June 

 and July. Cultivated by Gerard in 1596. 3. A..~draecn- 

 tium, fiiort-flieathed arum, or green dragon, " leaves pedate, 

 lejifl.'ts lanceolate, entire, longer than the fpathe, which is 

 fliorter than the ipadix ;" it rifcs about eight or nine inches 

 liigh ; leaves petioled, upright, fmaller than thofe. of the 

 common dragon ; leaflets broad, lanceolate, commonly in 

 threes ; fpadix awl-fliaped, flender, longer tlian both fpathe ' 

 and leaves. It flowers with us in June, and grows in moiil 

 places in Virginia and New England, alfo in Japan and 

 China. Cultivated by MiUer in 1759. 4. A. •venofum, 

 purple-flowered arum, " leaves pedate, leaflets fuboval, en- 

 tire, lamina lanceolate, longer than the fpadix ;" the native 

 count!-)- of this fpecies is not known. It flowers in March, 

 and was introduced by Mr. Malcolm in 1774. 5* ^- /'"" 

 taphyHnm, five-leaved arum ; " leaves quinate ;" it grows 

 about a foot high, fubcaulefcent, upright ; leaflets lanceo- 

 late, entire, fmooth. A native of the Ealt Indies and 

 Cliina. 6. A. triphyllum, three-leaved green-tlalked 

 arum ; " leaves ternate, lamina lanceolate, acuminate, 

 the length of the fpadix ;" it is fubcaulefcent, with 

 the fcape arifing from the petiole ; fome fcapes are male, 

 others female, from the fame root ; the male fpathe is 

 ereft, the female has the lip inflefted. The Brafilian 

 plant has the fide leaflets lobed outwards. The \\x- 

 ginian plant has them only gibbous, but the llruclureof the 

 flower is the fame in both. This plant according to Lo>i- 

 reiro differs in Ci'.ina from the foregoing, in having the leaf- 

 lets diftindl, not i)edate. It flowers in June and July, and 

 appears from Evelyn's kalendar to iiave been cultivated here, 

 in 1664. 7. A. atrondcns, thrce-lcaved p-.;rplc-ilalkcd arum. 



A. triphyllum, y Lin. Spec. ''-Leaves temate, lamina.ovate, 

 fliorter by half than the fpi:dix." A native of Virginia, and 

 cultivated by Miller in !7jS. It flowers in June and July. 

 8. A. ternalum, '■ leaves ternate, receptacle longer than the 

 fpathe." Eound in Japan by Thunberg, flowering in May 

 and June. 



** [Vithoiif Jlcms ; haves Ji,np!c. 

 9. A. eolocnfia, Egyptian arum, Catefb. car. 2. t. 4J. 

 " Leaves peltate, ovate, repand, femibifid at the bafe ;" it 

 has a thick large oblong root, rounded at the bafe ; leaves 

 thick, fmooth, afli-colourcd, in form and fize refem.bhng 

 thofe of tlie water-lily ; petioles thick, upright, roundifti, 

 whitifli, fpreading out at the bottom ; fcape fliorl, with a 

 fubukte reflex fiat fpathe. A native of the Levant, Egypt, 

 Sicily, &c. This plant is efteemed a wholefome food. 10. 

 A. bkolorum, two-coloured arum, " leaves peltate, fagittate, 

 coloured on the difli, fpathe contrafted in the middle, fub- 

 globular at the bafe, lamina roundilli, acuminate ; upright, 

 fomewhat convolute." This is cultivated in Madeira, and 

 was introduced here in 1773, by Mcfl". Kennedy and I^ee. 

 It flowers in June and July. 1 1. A. ejeulenhtm, efculent 

 arum, or Indian kale. Sloan. Jam. i. t. 106. " Leaves pel- 

 tate, ovate, entire, emarginate at the bafe ;" the root is 

 large, tuberous, fubovate, brov.m, v>'ith fmall tubers growing 

 at the fide of it. The plant is about three feet in height ; 

 leaves fmooth, of a bright green, femibifid at the bafe, and 

 roundifli ; petioles round, dilated at the bafe, embracing the 

 inner ones : fpathe fpreading, ftraight, not cowled, longer 

 than the fpadix. The Jamaica plant feems to be fmaller 

 than that of the eafl; ; for Sloane fays that it only rifes a 

 foot from the ground. He fays, in that ifiand this fpecies is 

 planted ven- carefully in moil't plantations ; that the roots 

 are eaten, but that the leaves are moft valued, which ar.; boil- 

 ed and ufcd as coleworts. It would feem indeed that the 

 A. efculcntum is a plant highly ufeful and very generally- 

 cultivated in warm climates, and by none more than by the 

 , natives of the South Sea ifiands. The acrimony of the 

 root in its recent ftate is fo great, that when eaten raw, it 

 will excoriate the mouth, but on being baked, this acrimo- 

 nious quality is wholly diffipated. This fpecies was culti- 

 vated by Miller in 1739. 12. A. ntacrorhrzon, long-rooted 

 arum. Flor. AuiL n. 329. " Leaves peltate, cordate, re- 

 pand, two-parted at the bafe ;" this has a very large root, or 

 rather fubtcrraneous trunk, the tliicknefs and length of the 

 human arm ; leaves very large and wide, fhining on both 

 fides, furniflied with ftrong prominent nerves ; their very- 

 long hollowed petioles form at bottom, where they embrace 

 each other clofely ; ftem three feet long, and as thick as a 

 man's arm. The flower is white and very fweet ; all the flo- 

 rets are hermaphrodite. This fpecies, which is diftinguiftied 

 by its great fize, is a native of China, and Cochinchina, the 

 Eaft Indies, Ceylon, and the iflands of the Southern 

 Ocean, and is eaten by the natives like the foregoing. 

 13. A. peregr'tnum, "Leaves cordate obtufe mucronatq ; 

 angles rounded." A native of America. Mr. Miller fajjs 

 that he has received three forts of arum from the Well 

 Indies, by the title of Edder, but he fuppofes this to be 

 moil commonly cultivated there for its roots. 14. A. dive.- 

 ratieum, " leaves cordate-haftate, divaricate." Rheed. 

 Mai. 11. 39. t. 20. Spathe revolnte ; fpadix fubulate, 

 longer than the fpathe. A native of Malabar- and Ceylon. 

 15. A. trilobatum, three-lobed arum. Mill. fig. t. 52. f. 2. 

 " Leaves fagittate-trllobate; flower feffile." Miller defcribes 

 this plant as follows : root tuberous ; leaves remaining 

 moft part of the year ; fpathe fix inches long, inclining 

 downwards, having a long point twifted like a fcrew, in- 

 fide deep purple, outfide green ; fpadix long, flender, pur- 

 E 2 pie ; 



