Arum maculatum. Cuckow-pint. 



ARUM Linnet Gen. PL Gykandria Polyandria. 



Spatha monophylla, cucullata, Spadix fupra nudus, inferne femineus, medio 

 ftamineus. 



Rail Syn.Ger. 16. HERBiE baccifer;e. 



ARUM maculatum acaule, foliis haftatis integerrimis, fpadice clavato. "Lin. Syfi. Vegetal, p* 690. 



ARUM foliis fagittatis ; fpatha recta : clava cylindrica. Holler, hijl. helv. n. 1302. 



ARUM maculatum. Scopoli Fl. Carnlol. n. 1138. 



ARUM vulgare maculatum. Bauhin pin. 195. 



ARUM vulgare. Gerard, emac. 834. 



ARUM maculatum et non maculatum. Park 373. Rail Syn. p. 266, Wake- Robin, Cuckow-pint. 



Hudfon. Fl. Angl. p. 342. 

 Lightfoot Fl Scot. p. 528. 



RADIX perennis, tuberofa, albida, magnitudine nucis 

 myrifticae majoris, tranfverfa, fibras plurimas, 

 fimplices undique in terram demittente, fa- 

 pore acerrimo, tuberculis e lateribus egermi- 

 nantibus fe propagante. 



FOLIA : ex una radice duo tria vel quatuor, rarius 

 plura exeunt, fagittata, petiolata, nitida, ve- 

 nofa^ venis intra marginemterminatis, maculis 

 purpureis faspe notata. 



PETIOLI bafi vaginantes, fubtriquetri, externe con- 

 vexi, interne canaliculati. 



FRUCTIFICATIO fpatha inclufa. 



CALYX ; Spatha monophylla, maxima, oblonga, bafi 

 convoluta, apice connivens, ventre comprefla ; 

 Spadix clavatus, fimpliciffimus, fpatha paulo 

 brevior, purpureus aut albidus, inferne ger- 

 minibusobvallatus, marcefcens fupra germina, 



fig- 4. 



COROLLA nulla. 



STAMINA : Filamenta nulla : Anthers plurimae, 

 fefliles, tetragonal, purpureas, fpadici adnata?, 



fig- l - 

 NECTARTA corpufcula plurima, baficrafla, definentia 

 in cirrhos nliformes fupra et infra ftamina, 



fig' 3- 

 PISTILLUM : Germina plurima, bafm fpadicis vef- 

 tientia, infra ftamina collocata, obovata: Styli 

 nulli : Stigmata villis barbata, fig. 2. 



PERICARPIUM : Bacc^e totidem, coccinese, globo- 



fae, uniloculares, fig. 5. 

 SEMINA plurima, fubrotunda. 



ROOT perennial, tuberous, whitifh, about the fize 

 of a large nutmeg, growing tranfverfely, fend- 

 ing forth on every fide a great number of 

 fingle fibres, of a moft biting tafte, propaga- 

 ting itfelf by little tubercles, fpringing from 

 its fide. 



LEAVES : from one root two three or four, feldom more 

 proceed, arrow-fhaped, ftanding on foot-ftalks, 

 fhining, veiny, the veins terminating within 

 the margin, often marked with purple fpots. 



LEAF-STALKS at bottom forming a fheath, three- 

 cornered, externally convex, internally chan- 

 nelled. 



FRUCTIFICATION inclofed in a fheath, 



CALYX : a Jheath of one leaf, very large, oblong, 

 the edges wrapping over each other at bot- 

 tom, at top clofing, the middle part com- 

 pr^ffed, the tongue club-fhaped, fingle, fhor- 

 ter than the fheath, purple or of a whitifh 

 colour, below furrounded by the germina, 

 and withering above them. 



COROLLA wanting. 



STAMINA : Filaments wanting : Anthers nu- 

 merous, feffile, four cornered, purple, grow- 

 to the tongue, fig. 1. 



NECTARIES feveral roundifh bodies, terminated by 

 a tapering thread, placed above and beneath 

 the ftamina, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM : Germina numerous, furrounding the 

 bafe of the fpadix or tongue, of an oval fnape, 

 placed beneath the ftamina : Styles wanting : 

 Stigmata bearded with little hairs, fig. 2. 



BERRIES correfponding in number with the germina, 

 fcarlet, round, of one cavity, fig. 5. 



SEED numerous and roundifh. 



BOTANISTS who have noticed the hiftory of this plant, well know that it appears under two very different 

 forms in the fpring and autumn : but the generality of people are not aware, that the naked" clu flier of fcarlet 

 berries, fo confpicuous in the hedges at the clofe of the fummer, is the produce of what are ufually called Lords 

 and Ladies, which attract the notice of children in the fpring, and which are obfervable under moll; fhady hedges. 



The leaves of the Cuckow-pint are fubjeft to vary very much in their fhape, and often appear fpotted with purple, 

 as fometimes does the fheath : the tongue within the fheath varies alfo much in its colour, from a yellowifh green to 

 a fine purple. 



All authors agree, that the root of the Arum, in its recent ftate, is extremely acrimonious ; but they in general 

 agree, that it lofes its biting quality when dried, and with it its medicinal powers. 



Miller obferves, that thefe roots are generally gathered in the fpring, when the leaves are in full vigour, fo 

 that the roots fhrink, and foon lofe their pungent quality ; but thofe which are taken up when the leaves decay, 

 will continue good a whole year, and retain their pungency the fame as when firft taken up ; Gard. Ditl. /\.to. ed. 5. 

 The fame mode is recommended by Bergius, in his Mat. Medic. 



When dried and powdered, they become eatable, and afford nourifhmentfomewhatfimilarto fago or falep. 



The diftilled water of the root, as alfo a powder prepared by drying its juice, have been in uie as cofmetics. The 

 root alfo, like that of the Sopewort, has been occafionally fubftituted for fope ; Ray, Rutty. 



Many of the Arums have mild roots, which are eaten by the inhabitants of all the hot countries, where they grow 

 naturally: and fome of the forts are cultivated by the inhabitants of the fugar colonies as efculent plants; the 

 leaves of one of the fpecies of them, called Indian Kale, are boiled, and fupply the want of other greens; Miller's 

 Gard. Diet. 



The berries are equally acrimonious with the roots ; Scopoli. 



When ftimulating medicines are proper, which at the fame time increafe the fecretions, as in fome fpecies of 

 afthma and dropfy, the Arum may probably be found ferviceable : at prefent however it is not much in uie. 



If my memory does not deceive me, the roots in the woods are eaten by divers Birds, notvvkhfhnding their 

 pungency, particularly the Pheafant. 



