XANTHOSOMA (from xanthos, yellow, and soma, a body; alluding to the large, lobed, depressed, yellow stigma). Including Acontias and Phyllotoenium. ORD. Aroideae (Araceae) A genus consisting of about twenty-five species of stove, milky, perennial herbs, inhabiting tropical America. Flowers monoecious, the imperfect males between the perfect ones and the females; spathe tube oblong or ovoid, convolute, accrescent, persistent, at length bursting irregularly, the throat constricted, the lamina boat-shaped; spadix inappendiculate, shorter than the spathe, and adnate with it at base; male inflorescence cylindrical or clavate, elongated, the imperfect portion constricted; female shorter, dense-flowered, attenuated above; peduncles one or several, rarely elongated. Leaves sagittate, hastate, or pedatisect, on long and thick petioles. The best-known species are here described. They thrive in any rich, light, well-drained soil. Propagation is effected by cutting up the stem or rootstock into small portions, and planting these in light soil, or in cocoa fibre, in bottom heat. After a stem has been cut off, a large number of shoots are developed, which strike readily when submitted to the same treatment as that recommended for root-cuttings. Some of the species may be used for sub-tropical work: they should have a sheltered place in a well-drained bed, principally made up of leaf mould, and an abundance of water. XANTHOSOMA auriculatum (eared). fl., spathe greenish outside, white within, 8in. long, the tube ovoid-oblong, the lamina oblong-lanceolate, acuminate; spadix as long as the spathe. l. three-lobed, cordate-hastate; middle lobe oblong, acuminate, cuspidate; basal lobes recurved, spreading, oblong or ovate-oblong, twice or thrice as long as the middle lobe; petioles reddish, or green and rufous-striolated or variegated. Brazil, 1869. (R. G. 1869, 603.) XANTHOSOMA Barilleti (Barillet's).* l. arranged on a robust petiole attaining 3ft. in length, deeply channelled at its base, which is broadly winged, the whole of a beautiful shining green; blade digitately-palmate, divisions entire, unequal, strongly nerved, the median lobe 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, of a dull green. Brazil, 1882. Plant caulescent. See Fig. 233. (R. H. 1882, p. 260.) XANTHOSOMA belophyllum (arrow-leaved) fl., spathe 8in. long, the tube greenish-white within, the lamina pale yellow, acuminate; spadix whitish, much shorter than the spathe. l. large, opaque and slightly pruinose above, cinereous or often pale greenish beneath, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, cordate-hastate; middle lobe shortly apiculate; basal ones semi-ovate, slightly acute. Stem short and thick. Venezuela and Guiana. XANTHOSOMA helleborifolium (Helle-bore-leaved). fl., spathe 3 1/2in. to 4 1/2in. long, the tube green, ovoid, nearly glabrous, the lamina yellowish-green, oblong-lanceolate, shortly cuspidate; spadix 5in. long; peduncles equalling or slightly exceeding the petioles. l. on very long petioles, green, spotted and striated with dark violet, reniform, pedatisect, 8in. to 12in. broad; segments five, nine, eleven, or thirteen, distant, the lateral ones unequally oblong or lanceolate, cuneate towards the base, acuminate at apex, gradually smaller. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. Venezuela, &c., 1793. SYNS. Acontias helleborifolius, Arum helleborifolium. XANTHOSOMA Jacquini (Jacquin's). fl., spathe tube green outside, dark purple within, 2 3/4in. long, the lamina pale greenish-yellow outside, whitish within, about 4in. long; spadix whitish, sessile, about equalling the spathe; peduncles about 4in. long, nearly 1/2in. thick. l. on long petioles, broadly cordate-sagittate, 1 1/4ft. to 2ft. long; middle lobes rounded at apex, shortly apiculate; basal ones retrorse, obtuse, half as long as the middle one. Stem thick, about 2ft. high. Venezuela, 1816. XANTHOSOMA Lindeni (Linden's).* l. hastate-oblong, 1ft. long, glabrous except the midrib, deep green, the midrib and numerous well-marked veins ivory-white; middle lobe oblong, acute; basal ones inequilateral, obtuse, extrorse; petioles rather longer than the blades, sheathing one-third their length. Rhizome tuberous. New Grenada, 1871. A showy, variegated plant. SYN. Phyllotaenium Lindeni (I. H. 1872, 88). XANTHOSOMA Lindeni magnificum (magnificent). A handsome variety, having much larger leaves than the type. 1885. SYN. Phyllotaenium Lindeni magnificum. XANTHOSOMA maculatum (spotted). l. green, sagittate-triangular; petioles purplish, with a glaucous bloom, and margined on the sheathing portion with white. 1861. A bold-habited plant. SYN. Alocasia albo-violacea. XANTHOSOMA Maximiliani (Maximilian's). fl., spathe 8in. to 9in. long, the tube glaucous-purple, green at back outside, within and at the throat blood-purple, ovoid, tumid, the lamina straw-coloured outside, sulphur-white within, the base and margins blood-purple; spadix straw-coloured and dirty orange. l. triangular-hastate, of a pleasing green; basal lobes broadly rhomboid. Stem tall. h. 5ft. Brazil, 1860. XANTHOSOMA mirabile (wonderful). fl., spathe primrose-yellow, 5in. to 6in. long, curved; spadix somewhat stipitate, shorter than the spathe. l. green, spotted with yellow, trisected, 10in. to 12in. long; segments ovate-lanceolate, acute, the lateral ones very inequilateral, shorter than the middle one; petioles three or four times as long as the leaves. Rhizome tuberous. South America, 1874. (G. C. 1874, ii., pp. 258, 259.) XANTHOSOMA plumbea (lead-coloured). A synonym of Alocasia cuprea. XANTHOSOMA robustum (stout). fl., spathe 8 1/2in. to 10 1/4in. long, the tube green, the lamina whitish, broadly ovate-lanceolate, acute; spadix whitish, rather shorter than the spathe. l. opaque above, paler beneath, pruinose, sagittate-ovate, 1 1/2ft. or more long; middle lobe semi-ovate, acutely cuspidulate; basal ones sub-rhomboid or oblong, obtuse. Stem 4in. to 8in. long, nearly or quite 2in. thick. Mexico. XANTHOSOMA sagittifolium (sagittate-leaved). Arrow-leaved Spoonflower. fl., spathe 6 1/2in. to 7in. long, the tube greenish, the lamina whitish-green; spadix much shorter, and peduncles longer, than the spathe. l. 16in. to 20in. long, broadly sagittate-ovate, pruinose; middle lobe broadly semi-ovate, acuminate-apiculate, twice as long as the acute basal ones. Stem thick, erect, 3ft. or more high. West Indies, 1710. (B. M. 4989.) XANTHOSOMA violaceum (violet).* fl., spathe tube glaucous and pale violet outside, yellowish-white within, oblong, 4in. long, the lamina sulphur-white, 6in. long; spadix violet and white, 7 1/2in. long; peduncles 6in. to 8in. long. l. pruinose, at length green, paler beneath, 8in. to 16in. long, sagittate-oblong-ovate; middle lobe shortly acuminate-apiculate; basal ones a third or a quarter as long, sub-triangular; petioles brownish-violet, nearly twice as long as the blades. Rhizome short. West Indies, 1864. XANTHOSOMA Wallisii (Wallis'). l. large, hastate, of a rich dark green; veins white, or nearly so. Antioquia, 1869.