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ARUM
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Arum is the common name for Araceae, a large family of herbaceous or woody plants. Most arums are native to the tropics, although a few genera, such as Arisaema, Symplocarpus, and Peltandra, are found in temperate regions. Arum flowers are crowded on a spike (spadix), which is enfolded by a vaselike leaf (spathe). Many species of arum contain acrid and sometimes milky juices; the tubers of the familiar JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT contain needlelike crystals that are irritating if eaten raw. The aromatic rhizome of Acorus calamus is used in toilet powders, and an oil from it is used in perfumes. Three arums are grown extensively for a starchy food made from their corms or tubers: taro (Colocasia esculenta) and dasheen (C. esculenta), both of which are widely cultivated in Southeast Asia and Polynesia, and Yautia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), which is native to tropical America and the West Indies. Common houseplants in the arum family are species of DIEFFENBACHIA, PHILODENDRON, and spathiphyllum.
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