122 
POTHOS ACAULIS. 
Stemless Pothos. 
TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA.—Nat. Ord. AROIDEJE. 
Gen. Char. — Spatha monophylla. Spadix cylindraceus, undique floribua 
tectus. Perianthium tetraphyllum. Bacca tetrasperma. 
Pothos acaulis; foliis cuneato-lanceolatis, basi subtruncatis. 
P. acaulis, Jacq. St. Amer. p. 240. t. 153. — Linn. Sp. PI. App. p. 1675. — 
WiLLD. Sp. PL V. i. p. 684 — AiTON, Hart. Kew. ed. 2. v. i. p. 289. — 
Plum. Descr. des PI. d'Amer. t. 51. (not 57.) above fig. i. 
Parasitical in its native country upon the trunks of trees, but growing rea- 
dily in our stoves in pots of common mould ; yet even then, its nume- 
rous, thick, long, simple, flexuose and fleshy fibres are principally thrown 
out upon the surface of the soil. From above these, the leaves immediate- 
ly rise without any stem, in a beautiful circular tuft, resembling, in their 
mode of growth, the fronds of Asplenium Nidus. These leaves, though 
they do not commonly exceed one or two feet in height, yet attain, in 
the hot-house at Liverpool, to a length of four feet, and a breadth of one. 
They are cuneato-lanceolate, acute or subacuminate at the extremity, at 
the base somewhat truncate, and shortly petiolate. The substance is 
thick and fleshy, or between fleshy and coriaceous, with a central strong 
midrib, and a few obscure, lateral nerves. From among the centre of 
the leaves springs up the scape, a foot and a half or more in length, cy- 
lyndrical, fleshy. Spatha curved downward (as is often the scape) from 
4 to 6 inches long, of one piece, lanceolate, greenish, revolute. Spadix 
8 or 1 0 inches in length, about as thick as the finger, cylindrical and ta- 
pering, pale green, densely and symmetrically covered with Jlotvers ; 
each of which is formed of 4 truncated, subtriangular, fleshy scales, with- 
in each of these is a stamen, two opposite ones generally in perfection at 
the same time, whilst the two others are more or less advanced. Fila- 
ment dilated, white, flat. Anther ovato-quadrate, at first oblique, after- 
wards vertical, 2-celled, yellow. Germen globose, but with four obtuse 
angles. Stigma sessile, forming an obtuse point. 
VOL. II. 
