The Portland daily press., 1876-04-15
CaIlas and their Relations.

AT the Easter season. tnat 1eStlval OF Tn e
flowers, the attention of the public is always
drawn to the beauty of the so-called callas.
We often hear them styled lilies, and it is to
correct the impression that they are such that
we offer these few explanatory lines. If the
ordinary observer even stopped for one mo-
ment to consider, and to note the essential
difference in structure between true lilies and
these plants, he would never afterwards make
a mistake in his nomenclature.
In the lilies proper we find six floral leaves,
petals if we choose so to call them, all of the
same color, and forming what is called the
perianth. These parts are not easily distin-
guishable, as rule, into calyx and corolla,
from the fact of their identical appearance;
hence the general term above applied to them.
The flowers do not proceed from spathe, that
is. the large cAlored leaf seen in the callas.
There are six stamens also, and three-celled
ovary. The flower is evidently constructed on
the plan of three The resemblance, if any
there be. to the Gala is exceedingly superficial.
Let us now turn to the Gala. Here we do
not find the tinted perianth, with its well
marked divisions. There is instead pure
white and exceedingly beautiful leaf, resem-
bling a shell, from the centre of which pro.
trudes yellow, club-shaped body, known as
the spadix. This body bears the flowers. One is
Immediately reminded of the common Jack-in-
the-pulpit, who is indeed cousin of the calla,
but in less ritualistic attire. He dresses in
green instead of 10 cloth of gold In Jack. and in
RichdTdid (for such is the name of our African
calla) there are two kinds of flowers separated
by an interval. At the time of blossoming the
temperature within the spathe rises very per-
ceptibly. One kind of flower bears the sta
mems, and the OF her the pistils, and both are
minute. What significance there is in the
club-shaped upper portion of the spadix we
are not able to say. Undoubtedly it has some
reference to the fertilization or perfection of
the fruit to which all the efforts of the plant
are put forth. At any rate, after Jack has re-
tired from his rostrum, we find in his place a
clump of brilliant green and finally scarlet
berries Nothing can be more lovely in winter
decorations. In Richardia the leaves are arrow
shaped; in the true Gala of our northern
swamps they are heart-shaped and on long
stalks. The flower is a small and modest imi-
tation of its splendid tropical relative; there,
too, the berries are red.
In the window of the Journal Office, that
school of free object lessons, and near the base
of Mr.. Wright's magnificent Azalea, may now
be seen plant of this same drum family.
We understand that it is species of Richdrdia
as its appearance indicates. Its family relation
at any rate, IS pronounced. Instead or the
spathe of the common hot-house plant, there is
a broad and doep.red spathe, almost velvety in
its.softness. The spadix is of deep chocolate
brown and very much elongated. The plant is
exceedingly curious
We have in our northern woods, besides the
Jack-in-tbe- pulpit or Indian turnip, several
other plants of this natural order. The swamp
Gala, we have already referred to- Then there
are the skunk cabbage, earliest of flowers; the
sweet flag of Calamus, and the golden club
Orontium. All the plants of the family are
characterized by an acrid or pungent juice. In
tropical countries they grow to a size, and cling
to trees by means of their 8rial roots. One of
them, called the Dumb Cane, is dangerous
poison, swelling the tongue and destroying the
power of speech. The roots of many, as of the
Col0casia, are, when boiled or roasted used for
food. Cooking seems to destroy the poisonous
principle.
The plants of the Arum family are mostly
used for ornament. Conspicuous among its
snowy members are the Cdladtuns, now so
well known in Conservatives. With these it
is the leaves that are ornamental the flower
Is much like that of Jack-in-the-pulpit The
foliage has a tendency to sport into various
colors, and is taken advantage of by the gar
deners to enrich their stoves or Wardian
cases. We hope that we have said enough to
show that Gala is not a lilly, and that Juliet,
to the contrary notwithstandinging, there is
something in name.