Helicophyllum
(from helix, helikos, spiral, and phyllon, a leaf; alluding to the lateral segments of the older leaves). ORD. Aroideae (Araceae). A small genus (four or five species) of Asiatic, greenhouse or hardy, tuberous herbs. Flowers on an appendiculate spadix, the males and females remote, with subulate, neuter organs between; spadix much shorter than the spathe, slender or robust; spathe marcescent, the tube oblong, sub-ventricose, persistent, the lamina oblong, erect; peduncle much shorter than the leaves. Leaves long-petiolate, thickly coriaceous, hastate or sagittate, or the young ones hastate and the older ones pedatisect with segments confluent at base; lateral segments often spirally twisted. H. Alberti proves hardy in a sunny border, in a well-drained, sandy loam. It may be propagated from seeds, or by means of the small tuber offsets.
H. Alberti (Albert Regel's). fl. very fetid; spadix 5in. long, slender, the appendix bluish-black, ragged at tip; spathe 7in. long, the tube pale green, the lamina dark maroon-purple within, pale green outside, very thick, acuminate. May. l. 4in. long, hastate, acuminate, undulated, with two lateral, horn-like, horizontal, basal lobes, and between them two linear, erect ones; petioles stout, 4in. long. Bokhara, 1884. (B. M. 6969.)