Any of various perennial herbs in the arum family, including houseplants such as the anthurium, dieffenbachia, and philodendron and having tiny flowers crowded in a spadix that is subtended by a spathe.
Adjective: aroid aroyd
Relating to a plant of the family Araceae - araceous
Derived forms: aroids
See also: Araceae
Type of: herb, herbaceous plant
Part of: Araceae, arum family, family Araceae
Arum
(Araceae, arum family, family Araceae )- anthurium; calla lily; jack-in-the-pulpit; philodendron
(Arum maculatum, cuckoopint, lords-and-ladies, jack-in-the-pulpit )- common European arum with lanceolate spathe and short purple spadix; emerges in early spring; source of a starch called arum
(Arum palaestinum, black calla )- ornamental plant of Middle East cultivated for its dark purple spathe
(Alocasia, elephant ear, elephant's ear) - any plant of the genus Alocasia having large showy basal leaves and boat-shaped spathe and reddish berries
(Amorphophallus) - any plant of the genus Amorphophallus
(Amorphophallus campanulatus, Amorphophallus paeonifolius, elephant yam, pungapung, telingo potato) - putrid-smelling aroid of southeastern Asia (especially the Philippines) grown for its edible tuber
(Amorphophallus rivieri, devil's tongue, snake palm, umbrella arum) - foul-smelling somewhat fleshy tropical plant of southeastern Asia cultivated for its edible corms or in the greenhouse for its large leaves and showy dark red spathe surrounding a large spadix
(Amorphophallus titanum, krubi, titan arum) - malodorous tropical plant having a spathe that resembles the corolla of a morning glory and attains a diameter of several feet
(Arisaema atrorubens, Arisaema triphyllum, Indian turnip, jack-in-the-pulpit, wake-robin) - common American spring-flowering woodland herb having sheathing leaves and an upright club-shaped spadix with overarching green and purple spathe producing scarlet berries
(Arisaema dracontium, green dragon )- early spring-flowering plant of eastern North America resembling the related jack-in-the-pulpit but having digitate leaves, slender greenish yellow spathe and elongated spadix
(Arisarum vulgare, friar's-cowl) - tuberous perennial having a cowl-shaped maroon or violet-black spathe; Mediterranean; Canaries; Azores
(caladium) - any plant of the genus Caladium cultivated for their ornamental foliage variously patterned in white or pink or red
(Colocasia esculenta, dalo, taro plant, dasheen, taro) - herb of the Pacific islands grown throughout the tropics for its edible root and in temperate areas as an ornamental for its large glossy leaves
(Dieffenbachia sequine, dumb cane, mother-in-law plant, mother-in-law's tongue) - a evergreen plant with large showy dark green leaves; contains a poison that swells the tongue and throat hence the name
(Dracontium) - any plant of the genus Dracontium; strongly malodorous tropical American plants usually with gigantic leaves
(Dracunculus vulgaris, dragon arum, green dragon) - European arum resembling the cuckoopint
(Nephthytis) - any plant of the genus Nephthytis
(Malanga, spoonflower, tannia, Xanthosoma atrovirens, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, yautia) - tropical American aroid having edible tubers that are cooked and eaten like yams or potatoes
(Herb, herbaceous plant) - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
