Monographs Details:
Authority:

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
Family:

Araceae
Scientific Name:

Araceae
Description:

Family Description - Fls very numerous and tiny, unisexual or seldom perfect, closely aggregated over all or part of a fleshy axis, forming a cylindric to capitate spadix usually subtended by a colored or foliaceous spathe; plants commonly monoecious with the staminate fls uppermost in the spadix, rarely dioecious; perianth very small, the mostly 4 or 6 similar sep distinct or connate, ± in 2 cycles, or often wanting; stamens mostly 2–6; filaments very short; anthers extrorse; ovary superior but ± embedded in the spadix, 1–3(+)-locular, with 1–several ovules per locule; placentation in plurilocular ovaries axile or basal-axile; style very short or none; fr usually a berry, seldom dry or leathery and opening irregularly, or the whole spadix ripening as a multiple fr; embryo rather large, monocotyledonous, axially embedded in the usually copious, oily endosperm, or the endosperm sometimes wanting; mostly herbs, with raphides but without ethereal oil cells, very diverse in habit and foliage, the lvs in most genera with a distinct, sheathing petiole and an expanded, bifacial, often ± net-veined blade. 110/1800.

Common Names:

The arum family