LEMNACEAE. 23 1 



4. SPATHYEMA Raf. [SYMPLOCARPUS Salisb.] 



A fetid herb, with large ovate cordate leaves, thick straight rootstocks and a 

 short erect partly underground scape. Spathe swollen, shell-like, thick, pointed, 

 completely enclosing the spadix. Spadix globose or oblong, short-stalked, covered 

 by the perfect flowers. Perianth of 4 hooded sepals. Filaments slightly dilated; 

 anthers 2-celled, short, extrorse. opening longitudinally. Ovary nearly buried in 

 the tissue of the spadix, 1 -celled with a solitary suspended anatropous ovule. Style 

 pyramidal, 4-sided, thick, elongated; stigma minute. Berries immersed in the 

 spongy axis of the spadix, becoming adnate to the succulent perianth in ripening, 

 1 -seeded, forming large heads. Seeds large. Embryo large, fleshy; endosperm 

 none. [Greek, referring to the spathe,] A monotypic genus of E. North America 

 and N. E. Asia. 



1. Spathyema foetida (L.) Raf. Skunk Cabbage. (I. F. f. 881.) Leaves 

 numerous, in large crowns, 3-9 dm. long, often 3 dm. wide, strongly nerved, 

 abruptly acute at the apex, thin, entire, their petioles deeply channeled. Root- 

 stock thick, terminating in whorls of fleshy fibers; spathe preceding the leaves, 

 erect, 7-15 cm. high, 2-8 cm. in diameter at the base, convolute, firm, purple- 

 jrown to greenish yellow, often mottled; spadix about 2.5 cm. in diameter in 

 flower, enlarging and sometimes 15 cm. in diameter in fruit. In swamps and wet 

 soil, N. S. to Ont., Minn. ? Fla. and Iowa. Feb. -April. 



5. ORONTIUM L. 



Aquatic herbs, with thick rootstocks, oblong-elliptic nerved leaves without a dis- 

 tinct midvein, and slender terete scapes terminated by a cylindric spadix. Spathe 

 enclosing the spadix when very young, soon parting and remaining as a sheathing 

 bract at its base, or falling away. Flowers perfect, bright yellow, covering the 

 whole spadix. Sepals 4-6, scale-like, imbricated upon the ovary ; stamens as many 

 as the sepals; filaments linear; abruptly narrowed above; anthers small, with two 

 diverging sacs opening by oblique slits. Ovary partly imbedded in the axis of the 

 spadix, depressed, obtusely angled, i-celled; ovule solitary, half-anatropous; 

 stigma sessile. Fruit a green utricle. Endosperm none; embryo long-stalked. 

 [Ancient name of some water plant.] A monotypic genus of eastern N. America. 



1. Orontium aquaticum L. Golden-club. (I. F. f. 882.) Leaves deep 

 dull green above, pale beneath, the blade 1-3 dm. long, 4-12 cm. wide, entire, 

 acute or cuspidate at the apex, narrowed at the base into a petiole. Scape 1.5— 

 6 dm, long, flattened near the spadix; spadix 2-5 cm. long, 6-8 mm. in diameter, 

 much thickened in fruit; spathe bract-like, 5- 10 cm. long, 2-keeled on the back, 

 usually falling away early; utricle roughened on top with 9 or 10 tubercles. In 

 swamps and ponds, Mass. to Penn., Fla. and La., mostly near the coast. April- 

 May. 



6. ACORUS L. 



Erect herbs, with long branched rootstocks, sword-shaped leaves, and 3-angled 

 scapes keeled on the back and channeled in front, and a seemingly lateral cylindric 

 spadix, the scape appearing as if extending long beyond it, but this upper part is 

 morphologically a spathe. Flowers perfect, densely covering the spadix. Peri- 

 anth of 6 membranous concave sepals. Stamens 6; filaments flattened; anthers 

 reniform or sagittate, 2-celled, the cells confluent at maturity. Ovary oblong, 3-4- 

 celled with 2-8 anatropous ovules in each cavity ; stigma sessile, depressed-capitate. 

 Fruit a 2-3 -celled gelatinous berry, few-seeded. Endosperm copious. [Name 

 ancient.] Two known species, the following widely distributed in the north tem- 

 perate zone, the other Japanese. 



I. Acorus Calamus L. Sweet Flag. Calamus-root. (I. F. f. 883.) 

 Leaves linear, erect, 5-15 dm. tall and 2-5 cm. wide or less, sharp-pointed and 

 sharp-edged, with a ridged midvein. 2-ranked, closely sheathing each other and 

 the scape. Spathe projecting 2-8 dm. beyond the spadix; spadix spike-like, 

 5-9 cm. long, about I cm. in diameter: flowers minute, greenish-yellow. Ir swamps 

 and along streams, N. S. to Out., Minn., La. and Kans. Also in Europe and 

 Asia, May-July. 



