ARACE.E. (arum family.) 439 



or less united. Stigmas finite, Btigmatic on the inner face. Drupes 1-3, onc- 

 ieeded. Embryo dorsal, in horny somewhat ruminated albumen. — Low palms, 



with fan-like long-petioled leaves, destitute of thread-like filaments. Sheaths 

 soon dry and net-like. Spadix dense-flowered, branching. Spathc 2-4-leaved. 

 Flowers yellowish. Drupe globose or ovoid. 



1. C. Hystrix, Fraser. (Blue Palmetto.) Stem short, proliferous; 

 leaves circular in outline, with numerous 2-4-toothed divisions, on triangular 

 rough-edged petioles ; sheaths persistent, composed of oblique fibres interwoven 

 with numerous erect strong spines ; spadix small, short-peduncled ; spathes 

 about 4, oblong, woolly, acutely 2-lipped ; petals ovoid; drupe ovoid. — Low 

 shady woods in the lower districts, Florida to South Carolina. June and July. 

 — Stem 2° - 3° long, erect or creeping. Leaves somewhat glaucous, 3° - 4° 

 high. Spadix 6'- 12' long. Partial spathes none. Drupe G"-9" long. 



Order 135. ARACEiE. (Arum Family.) 



Acrid chiefly stemless herbs, from tuberous or creeping rootstocks, with 

 entire or divided often veiny leaves, and perfect or monoecious flowers 

 borne on a spadix, and commonly enclosed in a spathc. — Calyx and 

 corolla wanting, or the former with scale-like sepals. Stamens short, 

 hypogynous : anthers extrorse, commonly sunk in the thick connective. 

 Ovary 1 -several-celled, with 1 -several ovules in each cell. Stigma ses- 

 sile. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Embryo straight. Albumen mealy or 

 fleshy, sometimes wanting. 



Synopsis. 



* Calyx and corolla none. Spadix enclosed in a spathe. Flowers monoecious. 

 *- Fertile flowers numerous. Spadix free. 



1. A&ESJSMA. Spathe thin, convolute at the base, arching above. Spadix barren above. 



Leaves 3 - several-lobed. 



2. PELT AND R. A. Spathe (green) thick, convolute throughout, wavy on the margins. Spa- 



dix flowering throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



3. XANTIIOSOMA. Spathe convolute at the base, open and white above. Spadix flowering 



throughout. Leaves sagittate. 



•i- ■(- Fertile flower solitary. Spadix adnate to the spathe. 



4. PISTIA. Free-floating aquatics. Fertile flowers solitary. 



* * Calyx manifest. Flowers perfect, 

 •t- Spadix enclosed in a spathe. 



o. BYMPLOCABPUS. Spathe thick and fleshy, convolute, pointed. Spadix globular. Sepals 

 and stamens 4. 



-t- *~ Spadix naked. 

 6. ORONTIOM. Spadix terminating the club-shaped white-topped scape. 

 Spadix attached to the side of the flattened leaf-like 



1. ARISJEMA, Mart. Indian Tiump. 



Spathe convolute below, dilated and commonly arched above, withering. 

 Spadix covered below with monoecious flowers (the lower ones fertile), elon- 



