Zamioculcas
(from Zamia, a cycadaceous genus, and Culcasia, belonging to the Aroids; both of which the present plants are supposed to resemble). Including Gonatopus. ORD. Aroideae (Araceae). A small genus (two species) of stove, herbaceous perennials, natives of Eastern tropical Africa. Flowers dense; spathe tube convolute, sub-globose, the lamina lanceolate or boat-shaped, horned at apex; spadix sessile, cylindrical, shorter than the spathe, inappendiculate. Leaves many, on thick petioles, imparipinnate with six to eight pairs of alternate pinnae, or bipinnate with opposite pinnae and pinnules; petioles very shortly sheathing at base. These plants thrive in a compost of sandy loam, leaf mould, and small pieces of charcoal, and require a moist atmosphere. Propagation may be effected by division of the root. "Young plants may also be obtained from the leaflets after they have disarticulated from the rachis, as follows: Place some leaflets upon some soil, which must be kept damp; in a few days, the basal ends of the leaflets commence to swell, and each forms, after a short time, a small tuber. The tuber, with the leaf attached, may then be planted in a small pot, but should only be just covered with earth; roots and leaf-buds quickly form, and soon a young plant is established" (N. E. Brown).
Z. Boivini (Boivin's). fl., spathe 6in. long, the lamina dirty yellowish-green inside, lurid yellowish-green externally, darkly nerved and striated; spadix equalling the spathe, the female portion 1in. long, the male 4in. long, yellow, terete. l. solitary, radical, erect, 2ft. to 3ft. long, triangular-ovate, triternately pinnate; pinnae opposite, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, sessile or shortly petiolulate; petioles as thick as the little finger. Rhizome short, dilated. 1873. (B. M. 6026.) SYN. Gonatopus Boivini. Z. Loddigesii (Loddiges'). fl., spathe green, thick, the lamina about 2in. long; spadix greenish-yellow, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long, constricted in the middle; scape very short, stout. June. l., pinnae 3in. to 6in. long, alternate, deciduous, obovate or ellipticlanceolate, shortly petiolulate or sub-sessile; petioles about 2ft. long, terete, clavate at base. Rhizome short, horizontal, giving off large, white, sessile tubers. 1828. (B. M. 5985.) SYN. Caladium zamiaefolium (L. B. C. 1408).