Both from the fi peculiarity of swamp or northers parts Jet Plan vegetable mamy met to distéisd e pecially in the spider marke rank, crowded lows D སྔོ 6 |::༡ ཀེའུ ཀ ཀ ཧི among the first which bro. Posky after the rigours of winter engkang b latitudes, from February to Ap tion is rapid, so that in most cash ripe and the leaves wholly dee goda phare the end of August From this prevanity of our plant ràgether with the depth to which the erots ports. trate the earth, it seeme calcalded to hear the ICTODES FETIDUS. Skunk Cabbage. PLATE XXIV. THIS is one of our most noticeable plants, both from the frequency of its occurrence and the peculiarity of its sensible properties. Scarcely a swamp or meadow is found in the middle and northern parts of the United States in which this vegetable may not be discovered at a distance, especially in the spring season, by its large tufts of rank, crowded leaves. Its singular flowers are among the first which break from the ground, after the rigours of winter, appearing in different latitudes, from February to April. The vegetation is rapid, so that in most instances the fruit is ripe and the leaves wholly decayed before the end of August. From this precocity of the plant together with the depth to which the roots penetrate the earth, it seems calculated to bear the cold of high latitudes. I have found the flowers a second time formed, and shooting from the ground in November. The strong and unpleasant odour which every part of the plant emits on being broken, and which is precisely similar to that of the Viverra mephitis; has given it by an almost common consent, in every part of the country, the appellations of Skunk weed and Skunk cabbage. The structure of this singular vegetable has caused it successively to be assigned to the genera Arum, Dracontium and Pothos, with none of which it fully agrees. Of the Aroideæ, to which it is related, it approaches most nearly in its flower to Pothos; while its fruit has more affinity to Orontium. The Rev. Dr. Cutler many years ago, in the Transactions of the American Academy, pointed out the distinctive characters of this plant, and pronounced it a new genus. No name, how. ever, substantiated by a character, has to my knowledge been given it, in any botanical work, except the name of Symplocarpus, a term lately adopted by some American botanists on the alleged authority of Mr. Salisbury. As this name by its etymology implies a resemblance of the fruit to Symplocos, a genus with which the plant has not the least affinity; it appears to me inadmissible. Although I am averse to multiply the confusion of synonyms, with which our science is already too much burdened, yet in the present instance an appropriate name, which should not be at variance with the character of the plant, appeared to be required. With the advice of the venerable Dr. Cutler, I have translated, as nearly as possible, the common English appellation for the plant. The name Ictodes from izris, viverra, and ofw, oleo; is sufficiently expressive of the property from which its common name is derived. The genus Ictodes has for its character a hooded spathe, spadix covered with perfect flowers, calyx with four segments, petals none, style pyramidal, seeds immersed in the spadix. Only the present plant can be assigned to this genus. It belongs to Tetrandria, monogynia; and is found among the Piperita of Linnæus and Aroidea of Jussieu. The root is large and abrupt, with numerous, crowded, fleshy fibres. The spathe which emerges from the ground some time before the leaves, is ovate, swelling, various in width, cucullate, spotted and sometimes nearly covered with dull brownish purple, the top acuminate and incurved, the edges infolded, auriculate at base, and at length coalescing. Within this is the oval spadix, on a short peduncle, covered with perfect tetrandrous flowers, and of the same colour with |