nearly two feet thick; its surface was scarred; and from the 
centre arose a stem not more than three-quarters of an 
inch in diameter, thickly covered with small round tuber- 
cles, which ascended without a leaf to the tops of trees 
fifty feet high. On turning over one of the tubers, it was 
found to have but one fibrous root, about half an inch 
thick. Mr. Wood adds that the natives do not appear to 
put the plant to any use. 
The specimen here figured was raised from seeds sent by 
Mr. Wood in 1879, and it flowered for the first time in 
August, 1681. 
Descr. Stem very tall, climbing, from a large tuberous 
root; branches clothed with spreading hairs; young parts 
and leaves beneath densely tomentose. Leaves three to 
four inches in diameter, reniform in outline, angularly five- 
to seven-lobed, strongly nerved beneath, dull green; lobes 
short, triangular, acute; basal sinus deep, rounded, with 
connivent sides; petiole one and a half to two and a half 
inches long. Male flowers in short racemes, bracts small. 
Calyz-lobes short, rounded, pubescent. Corolla rotate, one- 
half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter ; lobes ovate- 
oblong, obtuse, dull yellow, margins strongly and broadly 
recurved. Stamens five, one imperfect, the others conni- 
vent in pairs; filaments incurved; anthers oblong, one- 
celled, with the connective produced into a spur longer — 
than the cell. Female flowers solitary or binate, axillary, 
pubescent, shortly peduncled. Calya and petals as in the 
male. Ovary three-quarters of an inch long, narrowly 
campanulate, three-celled, pubescent, ten-ribbed; style 
short, conical; stigmas three, shortly reniform, with the 
sinus uppermost; ovules few, pendulous from the summit 
of the cells. Fruit three inches long, between campanulate 
and clavate, ten-ribbed, coriaceous, dry, mouth broadly 
three-lobed above the ribs. Seeds one and a half inches 
long; nucleus oblong, compressed, margined, ending in 4 
broad membranous wing.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Male flower ; 2, stamen (both from dried specimens) ; 3, petal of female — 
flower; 4, ovary, style, and stigma; 5, vertical section of ovary; 6, fruit, and 7, 
seed (both from dried specimens) :—all but fig. 6 enlarged. 
