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require water, sparingly at first, and as the plants grow more light, 

 keep growing quickly by giving more water and light and when 

 strong enough pot into larger pots according to size of tuber. To 

 obtain well-coloured leaves with all the spots, lines and colours pro- 

 minent, the plants must be gradually exposed, but care must be taken 

 that the leaves are not " wilted or caught " by the sun. 



As the plants gradually mature and become " past," they should 

 be removed to a dry place and the watering reduced and finally 

 dried off and rested in the pots as they stand. The tubers may 

 remain dormant for three months ; it is necessary to occasionally 

 inspect them as the pots should not be dust dry and as the tubers 

 sprout, repeat the treatment as before. This is the time that the 

 different sorts may be increased by dividing the tubers. With 

 some varieties, this is not possible for two or more years, but nearly 

 all admit of some division. It is assumed that only the freshly 

 made tubers will be removed, which is really an advantage ; it is of 

 course possible to cut or break up the old tuber as is done with a 

 potato, but that means a weakened plant. 



Edible Aroids. 



Among the aroids cultivated in many parts of the world, one of 

 the commonest is Colocasia antiquorum^ now widely dispersed in all 

 parts of the world warm enough for it. Probably a native of India, 

 it has ovate peltate leaves, usually light green, but there are also 

 several pretty forms with blotches of purple or black on the leaves 

 and stalks such are the varieties Fontanesii and Illustris. It is 

 chiefly cultivated for pig food by the Chinese, but the long shoots 

 are also eaten by natives, boiled with tamarinds. It is known by 

 the Malays as " Keladi Babi ; " other varieties are " Keladi Lilin," 

 and " Keladi Serakit." 



The Malay name " Keladi " corresponds with the West Indian 

 and South American " Tania " and "Eddoes" and includes all the 

 edible tubers and rhizomes mentioned in the list appended. 



In the Malay Peninsula, edible aroids are most easy of cultivation 

 and they even often survive in suitable places as naturalised plants. 



Xanthosomas are plants with large cordate leaves on long stalks, 

 of quite the habit of the big Alocasias. but are natives of South 

 America. X. Linden //, with its white-striped leaves, has long been 

 a popular decorative plant. X. violacea and X. robusta are culti- 

 vated for their edible rhizomes. 



X. violacea is known as ' : Keladi Kelamino." 



Ornamental Aroids. 



Besides those previously mentioned, as worth cultivating for their 

 beauty, we have a large number of handsome plants, often easily 

 grown in pots, or on rockeries, which are very popular. 

 _ Homalomenas, common in our forests, are an easy group of cultiva- 

 tion. The large ones have heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves, 

 of a rich green. The most popular is H. Singaforensis with bright 



