Dioscorea. DIOECIA HEXANDRIA, - 805 
15. D. tomentosa, Kon, Mss, 
Herbaceous; tubers irregularly oblong, twining, downy, 
slightly armed, Leaves alternate, ternate, downy ; male ra- 
cemes axillary, compound, 
A native of the valleys amongst the mountains of the Cir- 
cars, It appears during the rains, with the other Bpecivs of 
this genus. 
Root tuberous, perennial, in shape like the common yam. 
Stems twining, armed with a few inoffensive prickles, dow- 
ny. Leaves alternate, ternate, downy, entire. Petioles dow- 
ny, with an inoffensive prickle here and there. Racemes 
axillary, compound, several times longer than the leaves, 
downy; spikelets fascicled, short, closely surrounded with 
minute, downy flowers, Bractes minute, three to each flow- 
er. Calyx or corol six-leaved, expanding. Stamens six, 
shorter than the calyx. 
Ihave not seen the female plant; the above description and 
the drawing, are from male plants reared in my own gar- 
den, at Samulkota. Roots succulent, and requiring less care 
in dressing than those of Dioscorea triphylla. 
16. D. demona, Roxb. 
Root tuberous, biennial. Stems annual, twining, armed. 
Leaves ternate ; leaflets obovate-cuneate, three to five- nerved, 
Ubium silvestre, Rumph. Amb, v. t. 127, is certainly 
this plant, while I refer D. triphylla. Willd. iv, 790. to Tsja- 
geri nuren, Rheed. Mal. vii. t. 33. a plant well known to 
me, though I have not yet described nor figured it. 
This very distinct species is a native of the Goruckpore 
forests, as well as of the Moluccas. Plants from both coun- 
tries are now before me in the Botanic garden at Calcutta, 
where they thrive well, and blossom about the close of the 
rains, The root is dreadfully nauseous, even after it has been 
boiled, 
Root biennial, tuberous, roundish, variously. lobate, with 
numerous, small, firm fibres, issuing from every part. One 
