188 Mr. F. Williamson on Caladium distillatorium. 
XIX. — Some observations on Caladium distillatorium. 
By Mr. Francis Williamson. 
To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 
Gentlemen, 
Having obtained from Mr. Williamson, late Curator of the 
Sheffield Botanic Garden, an account of a plant in that collection, 
to which he has given the name of Caladium distillatorium, and 
thinking it well- worthy of preservation, I beg to entrust it to your 
care. I remain, yours respectfully, 
Norton Hall, Derbyshire, Jan. 27, 1848. James Yates. 
Sir, Broom Hill, Sheffield, Dec. 28, 1847. 
I FEEL a pleasure in complying with your request by giving you 
an account of a few of the most striking peculiarities of that in- 
teresting plant, the Caladium distillatorium. 
This is perhaps the most gigantic species of the family, and 
when well-grown possesses many peculiarities to the casual as 
well as the botanical observer. In the beginning of the winter 
of 1844 a small tuber two inches in length by half an inch in 
thickness was imported from Bahia in South America. Towards 
the spring of 1845 it showed itself to be a Caladium of gross 
habit ; early in April it had leaves upwards of twelve inches long. 
The pot in which it stood, six inches in diameter, being full of 
roots, made it necessary to transfer it to one of upwards of twelve 
inches, which soon also was filled, the plant daily increasing in 
magnitude. In June it was removed as a permanent shift to the 
half of a wine-pipe. The plant now became exceedingly inter- 
esting to every beholder. The beautiful, smooth, green, heart- 
shaped leaves, their pleasingly graceful outline, the singularly 
shaded and attractive arrangement of the veins, and umbrageous 
shade from the majestic leaves high over head, may be more 
readily comprehended by the fact, that from a measurement 
taken in Sej)tember — 
The foot-stalk of the leaf alone, from where it embraces the trunk 
or stem to its insertion into the disc of the leaf, 9 feet 6 inches. 
The disc taken at its greatest length ... 6 feet 6 inches. 
The disc taken at its greatest breadth ... 3 feet 9 inches. 
Length of the trunk or stem about .... 1 foot 6 inches. 
In the night-time each of the leaves had the peculiar power of 
distilling water by a somewhat pulsative action from an orifice 
near the apex of the leaf on the u])per side. Around the mar- 
gin of the leaf is a large duct or channel into which the larger 
veins empty themselves, and thus convey their contents to the 
