REV. M. J. BERKELEY — TWO ARADS. 



201 



XL. On Two Arads from the Society's Garden at Chiswick. 

 By the Eev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S. 



Tue two plants in question were brought from Brazil by Mr. 

 "Weir. Of one of these, several specimens have flowered either in 

 the Society's Garden or in that of Mr. Wilson Saunders. The 

 species is not new to science ; but as there is some difference be- 

 tween Schott's analysis and my own, and as three different forms 

 occur, ifc seems worthy of notice. Of the other, which appears to 

 be undescribed, only a single specimen has flowered, the inflores- 

 cence of which is so curious that possibly, when other individuals 

 flower it may not be found to be normal. 



1. DlEEEEHBACHIA "WElRll, U. S. 



Leaves oblong, attenuated at the base, about twice as long as the petiole ; 

 lamina green, marked with elongated irregular paler spots ; median 

 nerve plane, longitudinally striate ; petiole channelled above, sheath- 

 ing at the base; common peduncle convex behind, plane above, 

 costate ; spathe elongated, sheathing, spotless ; spadix 4 inches long ; 

 ovaria sessile, bilobed, rather rough ; stigma orange ; barren processes 

 club-shaped, white, sometimes confluent with the ovaries ; anthers 

 peltate, with a dimple in the centre ; secondary spathes numerous, 

 seated behind the primary spadix, each furnished at the base with 

 two opposite boat-shaped bracts, and developed within the preceding 

 spathe. 



The occurrence of numerous spadices within the primary spathe 

 is very singular. The whole plant is extremely acrid. 



2. Zomicarpa pythonia, Schott, Syn. p. 121, Gen. Aroidearum, 



tab. 23. 



Aris&ma pythonium, Blume. 

 Radical leaves simple, broadly sagittate or panduriform, inucroiiate, cor- 

 date at the base, with a short petiole ; secondary leaves tripartite, the 

 two lower segments with a more or less distinct lobe, upper leaves tri- 

 partite, the lower segments distinctly bipartite ; segments varying 

 much in outline, but more or less ovate and oblique ; peduncle with 

 one or two reddish dotted convolute mucronate sheaths at the base, 6 

 inches high : spathe cucullate, not in the least involute at the base, but 

 exposing the ovaries, keeled ; keel attenuated above into a mucro ; 

 margin slightly reflected ; spadix not 'reaching much beyond the 

 middle of the spathe, adnate below to about half of the part which is 

 clothed with the anthers ; ovaries 2-3 ; stigma orbicular, depressed in 

 the centre, pink, with a yellow margin which at first looks furfuraceous 

 from the abundant pollen ; ovules 20, springing immediately from the 

 basal surface, anatropous; anthers sessile, confined to one side of 



