Spadix

“ Herbs mostly with basal long-petioled simple or compound leaves, and spathaceous inflorescence, the spathe enclosing or subtending a spadix. Rootstock tuberous or a corm, in our species mostly with an acrid or pungent sap. Spadix very densely flowered, the staminate flowers above, the pistillate below, or the plants wholly dioecious, or with perfect flowers in some species. ”

“ The endodermal spadix (sp.) of the sporosac represents the endoderm of the manubrium; the ectodermal lining of the sporosac (ex.) represents the ex-umbral ectoderm of the medusa; and the intervening layers, together with the sub-umbral cavity, have disappeared. The spadix, as the organ of nutrition for the gonads, may be developed in various ways, being simple (fig. 41, F) or branched (fig. 41, H) ; in Eudendrium (fig. 41, G) it curls round the single large ovum. ”

“ The males are on branched spadices up to 6 feet long, the separate catkins a foot long and 2 inches broad. There are 3 sepals, 3 petals and 6 stamens, the flowers being green. The females are on a 6-8 feet long spadix, unbranched, with up to a dozen spikes of flowers, with 3 sepals, 3 smaller petals and the rudiments of 6 stamens.
The Fruits are the most conspicuous feature, ripening in April to a rich orange colour. They are some 6 inches long and 5 inches broad, the enlarged calyx cupping the fruit. The edible, fibrous pulp surrounds three seeds with hard fibrous coats and edible kernels. ”

“ Two males and one female from Tipton, although in each instance variously intermediate, are as a whole nearer primulina, No. 2865, Coe College, male adult, from Cedar Rapids, has characters of the three races, spadix, noveboracensis and primulina. In the skull, the width suggests spadix, the narrow mastoid region, noveboracensis, and the tympanic bullae are as in spadix or primulina. One male, no. 12, Coe College, from Dubuque, is as narrow across the mastoid region as is noveboracensis although the bullae are well inflated as in primulina. ”

“ But in Cycadeæ, at least, and especially in Zamia, the resemblance between the male and female spadices is so great, that if the female be analogous to an ovarium, the partial male spadix must be considered as a single anthera, producing on its surface either naked grains of pollen, or pollen subdivided into masses, each furnished with its proper membrane. ”

“ A close, circular flower-cluster, like that of Pink Clover or Dandelion, is called a Head. (See Oswego Tea, Pl. LXXXII.; Sunflower, Pl. LVII.)
A flower-cluster along the lengthened axis of which the flowers are sessile or closely set is called a Spike. (See Vervain, Pl. XCII.; Mullein, Pl. LI.)
A Spadix is a fleshy spike or head, with small and often imperfect flowers, as in the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Skunk Cabbage (Pls. CII. and CIV., also Fig. 4) .
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
A Spathe is the peculiar leaf-like bract which usually envelopes a spadix. ”

“ It is important to observe that the modification of the fore-foot in the male as compared with the female nautilus is not confined to the existence of the spadix. The anti-spadix and the reduction of the inner inferior lobe are also male peculiarities. The external annular lobe in the male does not differ from that of the female; it carries nineteen tentacles on each side. The four ophthalmic tentacles are also present. Thus in the male nautilus we find altogether sixty-two tentacles, the thirty-two additional tentacles of the female being represented by lamelliform structures. ”

“ An entire leaf is a load for a man.
The spadices grow out from among the leaves; they are very large, pinnately branched and horizontal or drooping. The fruit is spherical, the size of a small 48apple and covered with rather small, smooth, brown, reticulated scales, beneath which is a thin coating of pulp. A spadix loaded with fruit is of immense weight, often more than two men could carry between them.
The leaves, fruit and stem of this tree are all useful to the natives of the interior. The leaf-stalks are applied to the same purposes as those of the species last described, the Jupatí. ”

“ The stems of these palms are generally lofty, cylindrical and smooth, but there are some stemless species. The leaves of all are very handsome, large and regularly pinnate; the petioles have the margins of the sheathing bases often more or less fibrous. The spadix grows from among the lower leaves, and is simply branched; and the fruit is ovate or oblong, and has a dry fibrous outer covering. ”

“ Spathe hood-like, rolled round at the base; spadix, upper portion entirely covered with stamens, but ultimately becoming bare at the extreme top, provided with blunt glands or sterile stamens in the middle, and ovaries beneath; anthers shield-shaped and one-celled; ovaries numerous, two-celled, with from two to four ascending ovules in each cell. Leaves upon long petioles, more or less sagittate, ovate, and usually very richly coloured. Fruit a one or two-celled berry, with few seeds. They are all of easy culture, and grow freely in a humid atmosphere. ”

“ The plants are dioecious, the males forming higher, more erect and robust trunks than the females. The male inflorescence is in the form of a simple fleshy cylindrical spadix covered with flowers; the female flowers are also in a single spadix, which, however, is shorter than in the male. ”

“ We find the spathe, again, sometimes drawn like an acanthus leaf, more often, however, bulged out, coming to be more and more of a mere outline figure, and becoming converted into a sort of background; then the spadix, generally conical in shape, sometimes, however, altogether replaced by a perfect thistle, at other times again by a pomegranate. Auberville, in his magnificent work "L'Ornement des Tissus," is astonished to find the term pomegranate-pattern almost confined to these forms, since their central part is generally formed of a thistle-form. ”

“ A large genus of ornamental or curious, hardy, greenhouse or stove perennials, with thick rhizomes and pedate or hastate leaves. Spathe large, convolute; spadix naked and club-shaped at the top. They are all of easy culture, and the indoor species will thrive with such treatment as is given to Alocasias, Caladiums, &c. Rich soil is one of the first conditions of success. Like most plants grown for the beauty of their foliage, rapid and free growth is necessary. A compost of good rich loam, with a third of sweet manure, thoroughly rotted, or leaf mould, with some sharp sand, is very suitable. ”

“ The spadices grow from beneath the leaves, and are small, simply branched and drooping. The spathes are ventricose, woody and persistent, curving over the spadix.
The fruit is about the size of an apricot, of a triangular oval shape, and fine reddish-yellow colour. In most instances the seed is abortive, the whole fruit 87being a farinaceous mass. Occasionally, however, fruits are found containing the perfect stony seed, and they are then nearly double the usual size. ”

“ Leaves 5°—6° long and 4°—5° wide, light green, slightly tomentose on the folds; petioles [105] 4°—6° long and about 2′ broad at apex, with sheaths 16′—18′ long and 12′—14′ wide, and ligules 4′ long and cut irregularly into long narrow lobes. Flowers: spadix 10°—12° long, 3 or 4 being produced each year from the axils of upper leaves, the outer spathe inclosing the bud, narrow, elongated, and glabrous, those of the secondary branches coriaceous, yellow tinged with brown, and laciniate at apex; flowers slightly fragrant, opening late in May or early in June. ”

“ A fruit is represented on the Plate of the natural size.
65 Genus Manicaria, Gærtner. Male and female flowers in the same spadix. Spathe fusiform, fibrous, complete, breaking open irregularly. Male flowers with twenty-four to thirty stamens. Female flowers (situated below the male) with three sessile stigmas and twelve rudimentary stamens.
Stem short, thick and irregularly ringed. Leaves very large, entire and rigid, the sheathing bases persistent. Spadices simply branched, growing from among the leaves, nearly erect. ”

“ Flowers--Minute, greenish yellow, clustered on the lower part of a smooth, club-shaped, slender spadix within a green and maroon or whitish-striped spathe that curves in a broad-pointed flap above it. Leaves: 3-foliate, usually overtopping the spathe, their slender petioles 9 to 30 in. high, or as tall as the scape that rises from an acrid corm. Fruit: Smooth, shining red berries clustered on the thickened club.
Preferred Habitat--Moist woodland and thickets.
Flowering Season--April-June.
Distribution--Nova Scotia westward to Minnesota, and southward to the Gulf states. ”

“ This curious little palm is only eight or ten feet high, and has the stem slender, ringed, and armed with strong conical spines. The leaves are rather small and few in number, and the leaflets are much shorter, broader and more rigid than in any other palm of this genus. The petioles are long and rather thick, much sheathing at the bases which are persistent, clothing the stem some distance down after the leaves have dropped away from them, a character not found in any other prickly stemmed species. The spadix is very long, branched and drooping. ”

“ Ab. polita, Hübner (Fig. 9) , has a whitish-grey submarginal band and greyish cross lines, and ab. spadicea, Haworth (Fig. 10) , is a dark form without any distinct markings. This species has long been incorrectly known as spadicea, Hübner, which, as noted above, is a form of vaccinii, L. Staudinger, probably to prevent confusion, deposed spadicea, Haworth, and set up subspadicea in its place.
Fig. 8 represents a specimen from North Kent that somewhat suggests ab. suffusa, Tutt, of the previous species. ”

“ So are the other spadassinicides who dreamt of skewering a poor sheep of a provincial lawyer. And here to-day comes the chief, the fine flower of these bully-swordsmen. He comes, for wages long overdue. Be sure of that. So if you have no other reason to urge..."
It was the sarcasm of him that mystified her. Could he possibly be sincere in his assurance that he must prevail against M. de La Tour d'Azyr? To her in her limited knowledge, her mind filled with her uncle's contrary conviction, it seemed that André-Louis was only acting; he would act a part to the very end. ”

“ The leaves curve over gracefully, and the character and aspect of the foliage is very different from that of most other palms. The column formed by the sheathing leaf-stalks is swollen at the base and of a deep green colour.
The spadices are three or four in number, growing rather upwards from the stem below the leaf-column. They are small and simply branched, and bear small oval red fruits about the size of a damson, the outer pulp of which is bitter and only eaten by some birds. ”

“ The Spahi's face expressed a mixture of acute pain and intense lechery; all the nerves of his body seemed stretched and quivering, as if under,the action of a strong battery; his eyes were half closed, and the pupils had almost disappeared, his clenched teeth were gnashed, as the bottle was, every now and then, thrust a little further in. His phallus, which had been limp and lifeless when he had felt nothing but pain, was again acquiring its full proportions; then all the veins in it began to swell, the nerves to stiffen themselves to their utmost. ”

“ Master Leigh protested.
"'Tis a comforting one," said Sir Oliver, "and it should comfort such a sinner as thou."
But Master Leigh refused to be comforted. "Oh!" he groaned miserably. "I would that I did not believe in God!"
"Your disbelief could no more abolish Him than can your fear create Him," replied Sir Oliver. "But your mood being what it is, were it not best you prayed?"
"Will not you pray with me?" quoth that rascal in his sudden fear of the hereafter.
"I shall do better," said Sir Oliver at last. "I shall pray for you—to Sir John Killigrew, that your life be spared." ”

“ At this he threw away his spade and swore valiantly at his master. The old rector lost his temper entirely, seized the spade and struck at the man several times. He should not have done this, for a spade is a dangerous weapon, especially in the hands of a man as strong as is the pastor in spite of his years. Niels fell to the ground as if dead. But when the pastor bent over him in alarm, he sprang up suddenly, jumped the hedge and ran away to the woods. ”

“ In that passionate, throbbing emptiness she seemed as unconscious of him as if he were one of the gray cliffs. She was as far away and impersonal as the wind sweeping indifferently over the friendly little grasses.
In obedience to his unspoken wish, Jean turned.
"It's the sounds," she said, as if Herrick must have been following her thoughts. "If there weren't any sounds in Nature, pagans would never have invented a God. It's so impossible to imagine a silent Force creating a world where the wind shrieks and the sea roars and you can almost hear the earth breathe. ”

“ Gregory laughed. "I suppose she would. After all, she is almost always right."
It was dark before they started back. With the ending of their days they always grew a little silent. Small, clear stars pricked the black and the moon peered timidly over the ridge top. They walked through the dry snow hand in hand. Twice Gregory stopped, drew Jean into his arms and kissed her. It made them both giddy to kiss like that, alone in the open, under the stars. Jean's lips clung to his, and when his hold loosened, she drew him to her again. ”

“ What has come to you, girl? Why, Lionel himself told us the circumstances of his escape from the galeasse. Himself he told us how that villain had him flogged and then flung him into the sea for dead.”
“Ah!” said Sir Oliver between his teeth. “I recognize Lionel there! He would be false to the end, of course. I should have thought of that.”
Rosamund at bay, in a burst of regal anger leaned forward to face Lord Henry and the others. “He lied, the base, treacherous dog!” she cried.
“Madam,” Sir John rebuked her, “you are speaking of one who is all but dead.” ”