Araceae -- the arum family (110/1800-2450; cosmopoliton, mostly in tropics and subtropics)
Habit herbs, shrubs or vines; terrestrial or often semi-epiphytic; vining members may be ± woody; adventitious roots especially evident
Leaves alternate; simple to pinnately or palmately lobed or compound; blades with pinnate venation and usually long petiole that is sheathing to some degree; sometimes a bladeless deciduous sheathing leaf (prophyll) basally encloses each foliage leaf
Inflorescences fleshy spike, the spadix, surrounded or subtended by a conspicuous spathe
Special floral characters flowers small
Perianth 0, 4 or 6 tepals distinct or connate
Androecium 1, 2, 4 or 8 stamens distinct or connate; filaments short or anthers sessile
Gynoecium 1-many carpels, connate; superior or inferior (sunken into flesh of spadix) with 1-many locules and 1-many axile, parietal, marginal, basal or apical ovules; style 1, short or stigma sessile
Fruit= berry
(Floral formula: T 0 or 4-6 A 4-10 G 2-4 )