AROIDEiE. 221 



A. Virginicum. L. Rare in the western part of this State ; 

 found in Belchertown. This plant has received several names, 

 and is very likely to be carried to the genus Caladium, as de- 

 scribed by Persoon ; swamps, and borders of ponds ; sending up 

 several radical leaves a foot high, so as to have the appearance of 

 one species of Sagittaria, Arrowhead ; but from this, Dr. Big- 

 elow distinguishes it by easy characters. By Cooper it was 

 named Lecontia Virginica. 



Orontium. L. 6. 1. 



Crowded flowers in a cylindric spathe ; perianth 6-petalled, 

 naked ; style and stigma scarcely any ; utricle 1 -seeded. 



From the Greek name of an unknown plant ; only one species 

 in North America, and one in Japan. 



O. aquaticum. L. Golden Club. Floating Arum. Its 

 dense yellow flowers give one English name ; scape or stem long, 

 cylindric, rising from ponds or streams, producing flowers of 

 offensive odor ; leaves radical, large, lanceolate-ovate ; May. 

 " Southwick, Dr. Porter." 



POTHOS. Mx. 4. 1. 



Derived from the native name of the plant in Ceylon ; the 

 genus seems generally to be different from the only plant of 

 the name in North America. Hence the latter was named Sym- 

 plocarpus, Salsb., and has also passed under other names. Spathe 

 ventricose, twisted. 



P. fxtida. Mx. Skunk-cabbage. The particular name indicates 

 a prominent property of the plant so well known, and common in 

 wet, low grounds, as an offensive weed throughout the country. 

 Early in March its thick and fleshy roots send up a roundish head 

 of small flowers, enclosed in a thick and twisted envelope or 

 spathe of a purple color, only a few inches long, and opening by 

 a natural seam or suture. In three or four weeks, the leaves ap- 

 pear rising on short foot-stalks from the root, and become very 

 large, like cabbage leaves, giving, as well as the rest of the plant 

 when bruised, the offensive odor. The roots and seeds are 



