Araceae

---

See text.

Araceae is a family of 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 bract. Also known as the Arum family, members are often colloquially known as aroid. 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.

• 1 Notable aroid genera and species
• 2 Description
• 3 History
• 4 Toxicity
• 5 List of genera
  • 5.1 Subfamily Aroideae
  • 5.2 Subfamily Calloideae
  • 5.3 Subfamily Gymnostachydoideae
  • 5.4 Subfamily Lasioideae
  • 5.5 Subfamily Lemnaoideae
  • 5.6 Subfamily Monsteroideae
  • 5.7 Subfamily Orontioideae
  • 5.8 Subfamily Pothoideae
  • 5.9 Subfamily Zamioculcadoideae
  • 5.10 Subfamily incertae sedis
• 6 See also
• 7 Notes
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Notable aroid genera and 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). The family includes many ornamental plants: Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema, Caladium, Nephthytis, 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. An interesting peculiarity is that this family includes the largest unbranched inflorescence, that of the titan arum, often erroneously called the "largest flower" and the smallest flowering plant and smallest fruit, found in the duckweed, Wolffia. 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 family.

Full article ▸