Araceae
(Arum or Philodendron Family)
Habit
- many vines (lianas),
epiphytes
Leaves
- often with
pinnate venation, usu. enclosed by a
prophyll (bladeless sheath)
Flowers
- minute, naked or with
tepals in 2 whorls, embedded in
fleshy spadix sheathed by
petaloid spathe
Gynoecium
-
syncarpous of 3 carpels, axile placentation, 1-many
ovules/
locule
Fruit
- a
berry
Diversity
- 10 genera / easily 2500 spp.--probably many undescribed
Distribution
- all tropical
Economics
- important food source in tropics: taro, etc...; also many familiar house plants such as Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Monstera, Spathaphyllum
Notes
-
Images
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