March, 1909 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 105 
every vein of the leaf branching out from 
the mid-rib, instead of terminating at the 
extreme border, turns round in a curve and 
loops up with the one beneath it. Thus a 
kind of selvedge is formed which practically 
encircles the whole of the leaf, the value 
of which to check anything in the way of 
tearing is at once apparent. Most of the 
Anthuriums produce leaves which are really 
of very great beauty, and not a few species 
flower in a very attractive fashion, and on 
this account these tropical plants are in 
great requisition for the warm house. 
Another interesting plant belonging to 
the Aroidee is Monstera deliciosa, not un- 
commonly seen in large conservatories. 
The species produce very big leaves, thick 
and leathery in constitution, but still their 
very clumsiness would render them exceed- 
ingly liable to be injured. Instead of the 
border, which was so striking a feature in 
the Anthuriums, it is seen that the edge of 
the leaf is split up so that it forms a kind 
of a fringe; indeed one .may say that it is 
torn already and will therefore not be likely 
to suffer much more hurt. The strange 
fillets in the interior part of the leaf will 
catch the eye at once, and it may not be 
out of place to inquire for a moment what 
is the meaning of this rather unusual fea- 
ture. Under natural conditions the plant 
rambles up tall trees, and as there is a good 
deal of likelihood that the large leaves 
would obscure the light from each other 
the holes in the organs serve a very useful 
purpose. They act as kinds of windows to 
the leaf which happens to be underneath, 
letting through the light and possibly the 
air which otherwise would be excluded. 
Many plants related to the Arums pro- 
duce large leaves. A Central American 
species known as Dracontium gigas has 
been known to develop leaves which were 
no less than fourteen feet long. It is said 
that the whole plant is a most remarkable 
spectacle from the fact that the stem of this 
colossal leaf is beautifully mottled with 
purple and yellow, and has been compared 
“to a huge snake standing erect at the bid- 
ding of an Eastern charmer.” But even 
here we do not reach the limit of what is 
possible in the way of giant foliage. Some 
of the achievments of the Sago palms in 
this direction throw everything else into the 
shade. Not so long ago one which, it may 
be observed, was in captivity, startled its 
owner by sending out a leaf which was 
estimated to be more than forty feet in 
measurement. As a matter of fact it is 
likely that this particular specimen would 
have been even longer than this had it been 
possible to allow it a freer growth than it 
could get under glass. Of course, in the 
open under very favorable conditions even 
this would be exceeded, though, as it may 
be imagined, the chances that such a great 
leaf would come to grief are very great 
indeed. 
As a general rule the water plants can 
not be said to be the possessors of very 
Anthurium leaves of immense size 
