292 CLIV. DIOSCOREACEE. (J. D. Hooker.) [ Dioscorea. 
INDIA, Heyne. CEYLON, Walker, (yc. . 
Branches very slender, terete, unarmed. Leaves 2-4 by $-2 in., obtusely acumi- 
nate, thin, obscurely margined, base cuneate or rounded rarely subcordate. Male 
spikes 3-8 in., rarely branched ; bracts ovate ; flowers Ae in. diam., solitary, sessile; 
segments erect, concave, elliptic, obtuse; filaments rather slender, anthers didy- 
mous. Capsule lj in. diam., subquadrate, retuse at top and bottom, glabrous, 
shining. Seeds winged all round.—I follow 'Thwaites in referring the Ceylon 
plant to Roth’s very insufficiently described D. spicata, of which I have seen no 
specimens. Thwaites’ specimens of D. oppositifolia (C.P. 2302) in Herb. Kew are 
certainly this; but as oppositifolia is a Ceylon plant, the error probably arises from 
a misplacement of tickets. 
** Male spikes whorled in axillary and terminal panicles. 
f Leaves cuneate or rounded at the base, rarely retuse never deeply 
cordate. 
$ Leaves more or less pubescent beneath, or glabrous in D. oppositifolia. 
ll. D. pyrifolia, Kunth Enum. v. 384; leaves mostly opposite 
orbicular or broadly oblong 5-nerved coriaceous more or less finely (not 
stellately) pubescent beneath, male spikes 1-13 in. spreading, anthers 
subsessile, pistillode minute. 
TENASSERIM, Helfer (Kew distrib. 5538). SINGAPORE, Wallich. Mate: 
(not Philippine Islands), Cuming (No. 2314), Griffith (K. d. 5562), Maingay (K. d. 
1705), Hervey. . 
Branches terete, glabrous or puberulous. Leares 2-4 by 14-3 in., acuminate o 
cuspidate, base rounded or retuse, reticulate beneath; petiole 4-1 in. Spi i 
glabrous; flowers Ae Ae in. diam., globose ; sepals orbicular-oblong ; petals cuneate- 
obovate; anthers very small. Capsule broader than long, cordate at base and e 
Seeds }-1 in. diam.—Kunth erred in assuming this to be one of Cuming’s Philipp” 
plants. 
12. D. orbiculata, Hook. in Herb. ; leaves mostly opposite orbic d 
5-nerved stellately pubescent towards the base beneath, male sp! : 
ular 
1i-2 in. spreading, flowers very minute, anthers subsessile, pistillote 
minute. D. sativa, Wall. Cat. 5108 C. 
PENANG; Philipp; on Govt. Hill, Curtis. once 
_ Very near D. pyrifolia, but the leaves are smaller, not coriaceous, and a as 
distinguished by the stellate hairs beneath, the petals also are elliptic.—Fem. *- 
fruit unknown. 
13. D. oppositifolia, Linn. Sp. Pl. 1033; glabrous or sparsely 
pubescent, or panicles tomentose, leaves mostly opposite from lance? 
to elliptic-oblong ovate or orbicular strongly 3—5-nerved coriaceous wi her 
cartilaginous margin, male spikes short rarely'l in. spreading; anim 
large, pistillode minute. Kunth Enum. 390; Wall. Cat. 5104; Rox "bra 
Ind. iii. 804; Wight Ic. t. 813; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 247. D. g pb. 
Wall. Cat. 5105 D, E. D. trinervia, Boch, mss. D. lanceolata, #0 
Heyne. D. coriacea, Herb. Wight. 
CEYLON.: 
Tropical India, from Assam, SILHET and CHITTAGONG, southwards to | well- 
A large climber, branches terete, unarmed. Leaves 3-5 by 1-3 in., wit Wée? 
defined cartilaginous margin; petiole 1-1 in., stout. Male spikes rather ile, 
usually dense-fid. ; flowers rather large, A in. diam., but variable in size, Qa le 
globose; sepals orbicular; petals obovate; filaments rather long. zeds 
14-24 in, diam., retuse or almost 2-lobed at the top, coriaceous, glabrous. 
2-14 in. diam., wing very broad. 
