798 DIOECIA HEXANDRIA, Dioscorea. 
» Beng. Kam-aloo, 
Katsji-Kelengu. Rheed, Mal. vil, p. 71. ¢. 38. 
This species is much cultivated in various parts of India. 
On the Coromandel coast it is, 1 believe, the only species 
reared for food. In Bengal it holds only the second place, 
C. globosa being more esteemed ; it is, however, much culti- 
- vated. F alee time, the ae of the rains, 
Tubers oblong, brown on the surface, internally white in 
arich soil of great size, which perishes, after having produced 
that of the succeeding year. Besides the tubers, the proper 
roots of all those plants are fibrous, springing chiefly from, 
and about, the union of the stems with the tubers, and 
spreading in every direction, Stems herbaceous, twining over 
trees and bushes to a very great extent, somewhat four-sided, 
each angle enlarged with a copious, membranaceous, curled 
wing, henna smooth, often prickly toward the base, 
Leaves generally opposite; that is, the first only, that ap- 
pears on the young shoots, being alternate; all long-petioled, 
deeply cordate, with the lobes protruding much, more or 
less rounded, and approximated, from five to seven-nerved, 
ensiform-pointed, smooth on both sides, various in size, Pe- 
tioles nearly as long as the leaves, five-winged, enlarged 
at the base, coloured, and stem-clasping. peg Spikes 
compound, or panicled. Femaze. Spikes axillary, com- 
pound, and simple, smooth. Bractes three-fold, one-flower- 
ed. Flowers remote, small, and green. : 
site description of Ubium ovale, Rumph, Amb, vol. v. Pe 
» 125. agrees pretty well with this plant, so far as re- 
bg 2 stems: and leaves; but in the root they disagree ; 
no inference ¢ can be drawn fests the figure, 
a‘ 
3 
3. D. rubella, Roxb. > 
Tubers oblong, red-skinned ; stems twining, ax cainaed 
Leaves opposite, sagittate-cordate, § smooth, five or seven- 
nerved, with subulate. points, _ 
Beng. Guranya aloo. 
Ubium digitatum. Rumph. Amb, v. t, BI. 
