62 D. Prain et J. H. Burkill. 



carne luteo-albo. Caulis e radice singulus, glaber, sinistrorsum volubilis, 

 teretiusculus, inermis, purpureo suffusus, bulbifer (an semper'?). Folia 

 alterna, chartacea, utrinque glaberrima, subtus laete viridia, pellucide 

 punctata, subdeltoideo-ovato-cordata vel late cordata, acuminata, apice 

 minutissime mucronulata, basis sinu lato vel latissimo, margine nonnun- 

 quam plus minusve undulato, 7- vel 9-nervio, nervis extimis profunde 

 bifidis, nervulis secundariis reticulatis utrinque distinctis, plurima 9 — 16 cm 

 longa, 7 — 9 cm lata nonnunquam tamen usque ad 20 cm longa lataque: 

 petiolus glaber, sulcatus, 4 — 7 cm longus. Spicae masculae simplices vel 

 rarius paniculatae, singulae vel binae vel ternae, axillares: flores glomerati, 

 2 — 3-ni, breviter pedicellati, glomerulis in rhachi trigona 2 — 4 mm distanti- 

 bus; pedunculus glaber; bracteae sub ramulis panicularum lanceolatae, 

 3 mm longae, sub glomerulis ovato-lanceolatae pedicellos subaequantes; 

 bracteolae ovato-acuminatae, naviculari-concavae, pedicellis dimidio bre- 

 viores. Perianthii masculi laciniae ovatae, subacutae, subaequales et sub- 

 similes, patentes. Stamina 6, aequalia, filamentis aequilonga; antherae 

 filamentis breviores. Spicae femineae axillares, solitariae, simplices. ad 

 12 cm longae, dependentes; flores ad 10 — 12, sessiles, deorsum spectantes, 

 circiter 1 cm remoti; bracteae et bracteolae adsunt. Capsulae sessiles, 

 assurgentes; alae maturae pergamentaceae, irregulariter subquadratae, 

 2 cm longae, 1 cm latae, stramineo-corneae, livido suffusae, glauces- 

 centes, majores ad 2,75 cm longae, ad 1,6 cm latae. Semina in loculo 

 quoque gemina, complanata, subquadrata, 8,5 cm diam., ala membranacea 

 alba inaequaliter circumcincta. 



Eastern Himalaya. Sikkim: without precise locality, 1000—5000 

 feet, J. D. Hooker, no. 7, Herb. Ind. Or.; Herb. Griffith, 5555; Great 

 Rungeet, 1800—2500 feet, T. Anderson; Rungeet Valley, Kurz; Run- 

 geet, C. B. Clarke, 8936; Rungeet Valley, 4000 feet, Gamble, 9764; 

 Dikiling, 2000 feet, C. B. Clarke, 9682; Naksabari, Gamble, 322 D; 

 Tukwar, 3000 feet, Gamble, 9799; Pashok, 7000 feet, Lister: Mungpoo, 

 Hartless, Gammie, Dungboo, 2000 feet and 3500 feet, King; also 

 600— 3000 feet, King; Restrop, P rain's Collector; Silake, Prain; Nagree, 

 3000 feet, T. Anderson; between Richi and Rinchingpong, 2000—2500 

 feet, T. Anderson. Western Duars: Haines, 4187. Nepal: Scully, 34. 



Dioscorea sikkimensis is the Kencheong or Kiikur Turul of Sikkim. 

 It was included in D. ddtoidea in the Flora of British India by Sir Joseph 

 Hooker. It is indeed closely allied to that species: but it differs markedly 

 in the absence of the short crisp simple hairs that are so abundant on 

 the veins and nerves of the under surface of the leaf of D. ddtoidea. 

 There are besides other differences: the rhachis of the inflorescence in 

 both sexes of D. sikkimensis is distinctly angled, while that of D. ddtoidea 

 in the male is terete and in the female only slightly angled: the fruit is 

 also slightly different in shape; it is sessile and destitute of purple lines 

 or dots in D. sikkimensis, while that of I). ddtoidea is distinctly pedicelled. It 

 is to be noted that both D. ddtoidea and D. sikkimensis occur in Central Nepal, 

 which is the eastern limit of the one and the western limit of the other. 



