288 CLIII. Taccacex. (J.D. Hooker.) ° [ Tacca. 
inner largest broadly oblong. Roxb. Cor. Pl. t. 257. T. aspera, Bach, 
Fl. Ind. à. 169. Atacca integrifolia, Presl Rel. Haæk. 149 ; Flore des 
Serres, t. 860, 861. 
SILHET, CHITTAGONG and TENASSERIM. 
Rootstock oblong, curved. Leaves 8-16 by 4-8 in., acuminate, strongly nerved 
and bullate ; petiole shorter than the blade, and scape maroon-brown. Scape about 
as long as the petiole, stout, recurved or bent to one side, few-fld.; invol. spathes 
unequal, twisted, dirty green with purple nerves; outer 2-3 in., finely acuminate ; 
inner longer, petioled, often vaulted over the at length drooping flowers. Periant 
greenish-purple and yellow, or dirty lilac ; outer lobes subacute, rather shorter than the 
obtuse inner; mouth obscurely thickened and ridged, all at length reflexed. Ovary 
turbinate, deeply grooved. Berry 14 in., oblong, fleshy. 
4. T. leevis, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 171; leaves entire elliptic-ovate petiole 
and short recurved scape smooth, invol. leaves 4 subequal sessile ovate 
acuminate, perianth-lobes spreading acute 3 inner largest and broadest- 
Grah. Cat. Bomb. Pl. 230. Kunth Enum. v. 466. T. integrifolia, Her. 
Ham. 
BHOTAN HIMALAYA, Grifith. SILHET, Roxburgh, CHITTAGONG, MUNNIPORE, 
and TENASSERIM, S. Concan, Nimmo.— DISTRIB. Tonkin, Java. . 
Rootstock subcylindric. Leaves 12-16 by 5-6 in., acuminate; petiole as long 
as the blade. Scape shorter than the petiole, greenish-purple, more or less re 
curved, 6-12-fid.; invol. leaves 2 by 1 in., finely acuminate, many-nerved ; brac 
numerous filiform. Flowers pedicelled, blueish, greenish-grey or violet; periant 
ł-1 in. diam.; outer lobes acute. 
OrDER CLIV. DIOSCOREACESE:. 
Rootstock various. Stem climbing, branched, rarely short e 
Leaves entire lobed or digitately 3-5-foliolate, costate and reticulate, De, 
often angular and twisted at the base. Flowers small or minute, pur f 
racemose or spicate, rarely bisexual. Perianth superior, 6-cleft. Male A 
tubular or urceolate, lobes short, spreading. Stamens inserted at the base 
of the perianth, or on its lobes 3, 6, or 3 perfect and 3 staminodes, filamen 
ineurved or recurved, anthers small, globose, oblong or didymous, oF 7" 
the cells on branches of the filament. Pistillode various or 0. Fem. J 
anth of the male, but smaller. Staminodes 3,6 or 0. Ovary 3-quetrony 
3-celled ; styles 3, very short, stigmas entire or 2-fid recurved; ovules 4 
superposed in each cell, pendulous, anatropous or subamphitropous. ded 
a berry or 3-valved capsule. Seeds flat or globose ; embryo small, inclu 
in the hard albumen.—Genera 8, species about 160. 
. . . EA. 
Climbers, flowers unisexual, capsule 3-winged . . . L Dioscor 
dl D m" . r > 
Stem erect, l-leaved, flowers bisexual, fruit indehiscent  . 2. TRICHO 
1. DIOSCOREA, Linn. 
Fruit capsular.—Species 150, tropical and subtropical. 
I cannot 
The species of Dioscorea are ina state of indescribable confusion, and I a 
hope to have escaped errors in the determination and delimitation of the Indian am) 
to which I have devoted much labour. The Roxburghian food-yielding species jti- 
for the most part indeterminable, and except throngh a knowledge of them as €? 
vated in India they cannot be understood. No doubt some of the species descr! 
