26 
CALADIUM BicoLOR. 
Two-coloured Caladium. 
MONOECIA POLYANDRIA.— Nat. Ord. AROIDEJE. 
Gen. Char.— Mas. Cal. 0. Car. 0. Antherce peltatae, multiloculares, in spi- 
cam ad apicem spadicis compositae. F(em. Cal. 0. Cor. 0. Germina 
ad basin spadicis inserta. Stylus 0. Bacca uni- (bi-) locularisj poly- 
sperma.— fFi'M 
Caladium bicolor; acaule, foliis peltatis cordato-sagittatis disco coloratis, 
spadice spatha cucullata medio contracta breviore. — Will 
Caladium bicolor. Vent. PL Rar. Hort. Cels. t. SO.-— Willd. Sp. PI. v. iv. 
p. 488.— Ait. Hort. Ketv. ed. 2. v. iv. p. 311. 
Arum bicolor. Ait. Hort. Ketv. ed. 1. v. iii. p. 3l6.~-Bot. Mag. t. 820. 
Root most probably tuberous, as in the other individuals of this natural fa- 
mily. Leaves springing from the root, few in number, cordato- sagittate, 
acute or slightly acuminate, waved, but entire at the margin, distinctly 
nerved, the margin yellowish-green, the broad disk a beautiful rose-co- 
lour; petioles from 4 to 6 inches long, cylindrical, sheathing at the base. 
Spadix rising upon a peduncle, which is somewhat shorter than the leaf- 
stalk, and surrounded by a large convolute slightly acuminated spatha, 
of a yellowish-white colour, marked with longitudinal lines, contracted 
near the middle, swoln, and green at the base, exceeding sometimes the 
spadix in length, which last is 3 or 4 inches long, club-shaped. Anthers 
occupying the upper half, yellowish- white, sessile, peltate, fleshy, nearly 
tetragonal, crowded. If one of these be removed, and carefully exa- 
mined with a lens, it will be found dotted at the top, and indeed through 
the whole substance, slightly depressed in the centre, the sides occupied 
with several longitudinal cells, which open by a small pore beneath the 
margin, whence a pale yellowish minute granular pollen may be seen 
oozing out. A little below the centre of the spadix are some oblong, angu- 
lar fleshy bodies, of the same colour and texture as the anther, but des- 
titute of cells, whilst beneath, or with a short naked space intervening be- 
tween them, and at the base of the spadix, are the numerous sessile, crowd- 
ed germens, their sides irregular from mutual pressure, yellowish- white, 
their top a little convex, or having, in the centre, a slightly elevated, 
yellow ring, which is the stigma. The cells of the germen are 2 ; the 
number of the ovules in each cell I have generally found to be 3. 
VOL. I. 
