206 
CALADIUM PEDATUM. 
Pedate-leaved Caladium. 
MON(ECIA POLYANDRIA.— Nat. Ord. AROIDEJE. 
Gen. Char.— -Masc. Cal. 0. Cor. 0. Antheras peltatae, multiloculares, in 
spicam ad apicem spadicis compositae. — Fcem. Cal. 0. Cor. 0. Ger~ 
mina ad basin spadicis inserta. Stylus 0. Bacca unilocularis, polysper- 
nia. 
Caladium pedatum ; caulescens, foliis longe petiolatis cordatis profunde 
tripartitis, lacinia superiore maxima pinnatifida inferius auriculatis 
incisis, pedunculis petiolo brevioribus, spatha cucuUata involuta. 
Stem climbing, cylindrical, succulent, green, about an inch in diameter, 
jointed, and throwing out thick fibrous roots from various parts of its 
length. Leaves alternate, large, deep green, cordate, deeply tripartite ; 
upper segments the longest, with about 5 ovato-oblong, rather obtuse la- 
ciniae ; the lower ones ovate, with one large segment near the base, be- 
low and variously cut at the margin. Petiole longer than the leaf, 
sheathing at the base, cylindrical above. 
Peduncle shorter than the petiole, cylindrical, green. Spatha 5 inches long, 
broad, cucuUate, involute, so as almost wholly to conceal the spadix, ra- 
ther thick and subcoriaceous, contracted above the middle, green below 
the contraction, yellowish- white above it. Spadix nearly as long as the 
spatha, cylindrical, thick, scarcely pedunculated. The lower part, for 
nearly one-half of the length, is covered with small spherical yellowish 
germens, destitute of style, and with a trifid and crenulated stigma; the 
middle part with purplish peltae ( abortive anthers ), the rest to the very 
extremity thickly clothed with brownish, peltate, fleshy Anthers, on the 
sides of which are several longitudinal cells. 
Communicated by Mr Shepherd from the collection of 
Mrs Harrison of Aegsburgh, who had received it from Bra- 
zil. 
VOL. m. 
