ARACEAE

The 'arums' comprise the 'Family Araceae' (including the numerous 'aroids' subfamily): monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a ''spadix''. The ''spadix'' is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a ''spathe'' or leaf-like hood. This family of 107 genera and over 3700 species is most diverse in the New World tropics, although also distributed in the Old World tropics and north temperate regions. Recent genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has shown that the duckweeds, previously treated in a separate family Lemnaceae, also belong in the Araceae.
In monoecious aroids (possessing separate male and female flowers, but with both flowers present on one plant), the spadix is usually organized with female flowers towards the bottom and male flowers towards the top. In aroids with perfect flowers the stigma is no longer receptive when the pollen is released, thus preventing self-fertilization. There are also some dioecious species.
''Anthurium'' and ''Zantedeschia'' are two well-known members of this family, as are ''Colocasia esculenta'' (taro) and ''Xanthosoma roseum'' (Elephant ear or ‘ape). Among the largest inflorescence in the world is that of the arum, ''Amorphophallus titanum'' (Titan arum). This family includes a great many ornamental plants: ''Dieffenbachia'', ''Aglaonema'', ''Caladium'', ''Nephthys'', and ''Epipremnum'', to name a few. In the genus ''Cryptocoryne'' are many popular aquarium plants. Both Taro and ''Monstera deliciosa'' provide food value (the fruit of ''Monstera deliciosa'' called "Mexican breadfruit"). ''Philodendron'' is an important plant in the ecosystems of the rainforests and is often used in home and interior decorating. ''Symplocarpus foetidus'' (skunk cabbage) is a common North American species.
Many plants in this family are thermogenic (heat-producing). Their flowers can reach up to 45 degrees Celsius even when the surrounding air temperature is much lower. One reason for this unusually high temperature is to attract insects (usually beetles) to pollinate the plant, rewarding the beetles with heat energy. Another reason is to prevent tissue damage in cold regions. Some examples of thermogenic Araceae are:'' Symplocarpus foetidus'' (eastern skunk cabbage),'' Amorphophallus titanum'' (Titan Arum),'' Amorphophallus paeoniifolius'' (elephant foot yam), ''Helicodiceros muscivorus'' (dead horse arum lily) and ''Sauromatum venosum'' (voodoo lily). Species such as Titan Arum and the dead horse arum give off a very pungent smell, often resembling a rotten animal. This is to attract flies to pollinate the plant. The heat produced by the plant helps to convey the scent further.
See CATE-Araceae for a recently initiated project on Araceae web taxonomy.
The largest collection of living Araceae is maintained at Missouri Botanical Gardens.^[1] Another large collection of living Araceae can be found at Munich Botanical Garden, thanks to the efforts of the researcher and aroid authority Josef Bogner.

Contents

Genera

Note

References

Genera

;Subfamily Aroideae: ★ ''Aglaodorum'' Schott ★ ''Aglaonema'' Schott Aglaonema - close-up ★ ''Alocasia'' (Schott) G. Don, nom. cons. Alocasia macrorrhiza - close-up ★ ''Amorphophallus'' Blume ex Decne., nom. cons. Titan Arum - close-up ★ ''Ambrosina'' Bassi ★ ''Anchomanes'' Schott ★ ''Anubias'' Schott ★ ''Aridarum'' Ridl. ★ ''Ariopsis'' Nimmo ★ ''Arisaema'' Mart. Arisaema triphyllum - close-up ★ ''Arisarum'' Mill. - Mouse Plant, Friar's Cowl ★ ''Arophyton'' Jum. ★ ''Arum'' L. ★ ''Asterostigma'' Fisch. & C. A. Mey. ★ ''Biarum'' Schott, nom. cons. ★ ''Bognera'' Mayo & Nicolson ★ ''Bucephalandra'' Schott ★ ''Caladium'' Vent. Fancy leafed caladium - close-up ★ ''Callopsis'' Engl. ★ ''Carlephyton'' Jum. ★ ''Cercestis'' Schott ★ ''Chlorospatha'' Engl. ★ ''Colletogyne'' Buchet ★ ''Colocasia'' Schott, nom. cons. - Taros ★ ''Cryptocoryne'' Fisch. ex Wydler - Water trumpets ★ ''Culcasia'' P. Beauv., nom. cons. ★ ''Dieffenbachia'' Schott Dieffenbachia bowmannii - close-up ★ ''Dracunculus'' Mill. ★ ''Eminium'' (Blume) Schott ★ ''Filarum'' Nicolson ★ ''Furtadoa'' M. Hotta ★ ''Gearum'' N. E. Br. ★ ''Gonatopus'' Hook. f. ex Engl. ★ ''Gorgonidium'' Schott ★ ''Hapaline'' Schott, nom. cons. ★ ''Helicodiceros'' Schott, nom. cons. ★ ''Heteroaridarum'' M. Hotta ★ ''Homalomena'' Schott ★ ''Hottarum'' Bogner & Nicolson ★ ''Jasarum'' G. S. Bunting ★ ''Lagenandra'' Dalzell ★ ''Lazarum'' A. Hay ★ ''Mangonia'' Schott ★ ''Montrichardia'' Crueg., nom. cons. ★ ''Nephthytis'' Schott ★ ''Peltandra'' Raf., nom. cons. ★ ''Philodendron'' Schott, nom. cons. Philodendron biffinatum ★ ''Phymatarum'' M. Hotta ★ ''Pinellia'' Ten., nom. cons. ★ ''Piptospatha'' N. E. Br. ★ ''Pistia'' L. ★ ''Protarum'' Engl. ★ ''Pseudodracontium'' N. E. Br. ★ ''Pseudohydrosme'' Engl. ★ ''Remusatia'' Schott ★ ''Sauromatum'' Schott ★ ''Scaphispatha'' Brongn. ex Schott ★ ''Schismatoglottis'' Zoll. & Moritzi ★ ''Spathantheum'' Schott ★ ''Spathicarpa'' Hook. ★ ''Steudnera'' K. Koch ★ ''Stylochaeton'' Lepr. ★ ''Synandrospadix'' Engl. ★ ''Syngonium'' Schott ★ ''Taccarum'' Brongn. ex Schott ★ ''Theriophonum'' Blume ★ ''Typhonium'' Schott ★ ''Typhonodorum'' Schott ★ ''Ulearum'' Engl. ★ ''Xanthosoma'' Schott ★ ''Zamioculcas'' Schott ★ ''Zantedeschia'' Spreng., nom. cons. ''Zantedeschia aethiopica'' ★ ''Zomicarpa'' Schott ★ ''Zomicarpella'' N. E. Br.

;Subfamily Calloideae: ★ ''Calla'' L. Calla lily ;Subfamily Gymnostachydoideae: ★ ''Gymnostachys'' R. Br.;Subfamily Lasioideae: ★ ''Anaphyllopsis'' A. Hay ★ ''Anaphyllum'' Schott ★ ''Cyrtosperma'' Griff. ★ ''Dracontioides'' Engl. ★ ''Dracontium'' L. ★ ''Lasia'' Lour. ★ ''Lasimorpha'' Schott ★ ''Podolasia'' N. E. Br. ★ ''Pycnospatha'' Thorel ex Gagnep. ★ ''Urospatha'' Schott;Subfamily Monsteroideae: ★ ''Alloschemone'' Schott ★ ''Amydrium'' Schott ★ ''Anadendrum'' Schott ★ ''Epipremnum'' Schott ★ ''Heteropsis'' Kunth ★ ''Holochlamys'' Engl. ★ ''Monstera'' Adans. (Monstera)Swiss cheese plant ★ ''Rhaphidophora'' Hassk. ★ ''Rhodospatha'' Poepp. ★ ''Scindapsus'' Schott ★ ''Spathiphyllum'' Schott ★ ''Stenospermation'' Schott;Subfamily Orontioideae: ★ ''Lysichiton'' Schott Western skunk cabbage ★ ''Orontium'' L. ★ ''Symplocarpus'' Salisb. ex W. P. C. Barton, nom. cons. Eastern skunk cabbage ;Subfamily Pothoideae: ★ ''Anthurium'' Schott Pink anthurium, grown indoors ★ ''Pedicellarum'' M. Hotta ★ ''Pothoidium'' Schott ★ ''Pothos'' L.;Subfamily Lemnoideae: ★ ''Landoltia'' ★ ''Lemna'' Duckweed ★ ''Spirodela'' ★ ''Wolffia'' ★ ''Wolffiella'' ★ ''Dracontium'' L.

Note

1. . "The resources which have been built up for aroid research at the Missouri Botanical Garden include one of the largest living collections of aroids and the largest collection of herbarium specimens of neotropical aroids. The living and dried collections include a large percentage of Croat's more than 80,000 personal collections". ( History and Current Status of Systematic Research with Araceae, Croat, Thomas B, , , Aroideana, 1998 )

References

★ Vegetative anatomical data and its relationship to a revised classification of the genera of Araceae, Keating R C, , , Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 2004

★ History and Current Status of Systematic Research with Araceae, Croat, Thomas B, , , Aroideana, 1998 on line