FAM. 22, 23. 29 



P. Stratiotis (spathulata\ Water Lettuce. Free floating herbs with fibrous 

 roots and clustered entire leaves; spathe white, axillary; staminate flowers 

 surrounded by a cup-like involucre. In dead branches of the St. Johns 

 river. 



3. Leaves palmately divided, spadix included. ----- Arisaema 

 A. triphyllum, Indian turnip. Jack-in-the-pulpit. One or two leaves with 3 

 segments, scape shorter than the petioles; spathe white below, striped 

 with brown or purple above; spadix stout; fruit bright red. — A more slen- 

 der species with the spathe green throughout is A. acuminatum. — Low 

 rich soil. Spring. 



3. Leaves pedately divided, spadix exserted. - - Muricanda 



M. Dracontium, Dragon-root. Scape shorter than the solitary leaf; 

 sterile portion of spadix slender and prolonged far beyond the spathe; 

 fruit bright red. Moist ground in hammocks. Spring. 



3. Leaves simple, spadix covered with the flowers, - - Peltandra 

 P. Virginica, Arrow Arum. Leaves sagittate or hastate; scape as long as the 



petioles; spathe green enveloping the spadix, flowers inconspicuous; fruit 

 green. — A species with white spathe and crimson fruit is P. alba. — Marshes. 

 Spring and early Summer. 



4. Scape club-shaped with spadix at the top, ----- Orontium 

 O. aquaticum, Golden Club, Bog-torch. Swamp herbs with deeply buried root- 



stocks; leaves thick, entire; spathe at first enclosing the spadix. later 

 only a sheath-like bract at its base; scape white, spadix golden yellow; 

 fruit green. Ponds. Spring. 



4. Scape leaf-like with the spadix more or less lateral, - Acorus 



A. Calamus, Sweet-flag. Swamp-herbs with aromatic horizontal rootstocks; 

 leaves linear, sheathing; scape erect apparently extending into the sword- 

 like spathe; spadix yellowish, lateral, naked; flowers perfect, perianth 6; 

 fruit gelatinous inside. In wet places. Spring. 

 To this family belong the Caladiums, Colocasias, and Alocasias, cultivated for 



their beautiful leaves; also the Richardias or Calla-lilies, cultivated for their white 



or yellow spathed flowers. The Dasheen, a substitute for the Irish potato is the 



corm or tuber of a Colocasia. 



22. Lemnaceae, Duckweed Family. 



Minute disk-like plants, solitary or 2-5 in a colony, 

 reproducing by lateral branching; two propagative pouches 

 from which a spadix with 1 fertile and 2 sterile flowers 

 arises; flowers consist of 1 pistil or 1 stamen; fruit a utri- 

 cle. In ponds. 



Lemna minor with solitary root, and L. (Spirodela) polyrrhiza with several roots. 



23. Mayacaceae, Mayae \ Family. 



Moss-like herbs with creeping stems and numerous 

 pellucid, narrow leaves; flowers solitary, perfect, on axillary 

 pedicels; sepals 3, narrow; petals 3, white or purple; stamens 

 3 at the base of the petals; style single with 3-lobed stigma; 

 capsule 3-celled. 



