476 ARACE^E. (ARUM FAMILY.) 



of the cell ; in fruit a 1 - few-seeded scarlet berry. Embryo in the axis of albu« 

 men. — Low perennial herbs, with a tuberous rootstock or corm, sending up a 

 simple scape sheathed with the petioles of the simple or compound veiny leaves, 

 as if coalescent. (A play upon Arum, the ancient name; probably formed of 

 upov, Arum, and arjpa, a sign or mark.) 



1. A. triphyllum, Torr. (Indian Turnip.) Leaves mostly 2, divided 

 into 3 elliptical-ovate pointed leaflets ; spadix mostly dioecious, club-shaped, obtuse, 

 much shorter than the spathe, which is flattened and incurved-hooded at the 

 summit. (Arum triphyllum, L.) — Rich woods: common. May. — Corm 

 turnip-shaped, wrinkled, farinaceous, with an intensely acrid juice. Spathe with 

 the petioles and sheaths green, or often variegated with dark purple and whitish 

 stripes or spots (Arum atrorubens, Ait.) ; the limb ovate-lanceolate, pointed. 



2. A. Dracontium, Schott. (Green Dragon. Dragon-root.) Leaf 

 usually solitary, pedately divided into 7-11 oblong-lanceolate pointed leaflets ; 

 spadix often androgynous, tapering to a long and slender point beyond the oblong 

 and convolute pointed spathe. (Arum Dracontium, L.) — Low grounds along 

 streams. June. — Corms clustered. Petiole l°-2° long, much longer than 

 the peduncle. Spathe greenish, rolled into a tube, with a short erect point. 



2. PELTANDRA, Raf. Arrow Arum. 



Spathe elongated, convolute throughout, wavy on the margin, curved at the 

 apex. Flowers monoecious, thickly covering the long and tapering spadix 

 throughout. Floral envelopes none. Anthers sessile, naked, covering all the 

 upper part of the spadix, each of 5 or 6 cells imbedded in the margin of a thick 

 and shield-shaped connective, opening by a terminal pore. Ovaries 1 -celled at 

 the base of the spadix, bearing several amphitropous or nearly orthotropous 

 ovules at the base : stigma almost sessile. Fruit a leathery or fleshy utricle, 

 1 - 3-seeded. Seed obovate, surrounded by a tenacious jelly, the base empty, 

 the upper part filled with a large and fleshy spherical embryo ; no albumen. — 

 A stemless herb, with arrow-shaped leaves and simple scapes from the root of 

 thick tufted fibres. Upper part of the spathe and the sterile portion of the 

 spadix rotting away after flowering, leaving the fleshy base firmly enclosing the 

 globular cluster of fruit. (Name composed of TreXrr}, a target, and dvrjp, for 

 stamen, from the shape of the latter.) 



1. P. Virginiea, Raf. (P. undulata, Raf. Arum Virginicum, L. Le- 

 contia, Torr. Renssekeria, Beck.) — In shallow water: common. June. — 

 Leaves large, pointed ; nerves reticulated next the margin. (It seems to have 

 escaped attention that this plant has an exalbuminous corm-like embryo, nearly as 

 in Symplocarpus.) 



3 . CALLA, L. Water Arum. 



Spathe open and spreading, ovate (abruptly pointed, the upper surface white;, 

 persistent. Spadix oblong, entirely covered with flowers ; the lower perfect and 

 6-androus ; the upper often of stamens only. Floral envelopes none. Filaments 

 slender : anthers 2-cclled, opening lengthwise. Ovary 1 -celled, with 5-9 erect 

 anatropous ovules : stigma almost sessile. Berries (red) distinct, few-seeded. 



