Smilacew.) THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS, 379 
times confounded with them by travellers in their relations. Dr. Roxburgh mentions - 
that D. alata, common West-India yam, and his D. giobosa, purpurea, rubella, and 
fasciculata, of which the three first, he says, may be varieties of one species, are the best 
kinds cultivated in India; and that D. alata is esteemed next to D. globosa. JD. atro- 
purpurea, he describes as the species so extensively cultivated at Malacca, Pegu, and 
the eastern islands. D. bulbifera is the common Otaheite yam. D. alata, called 
rut-aloo, I have alone seen cultivated in N. India; but the tubers of D. sagittata, toree 
of the natives, are eaten, as are in Southern India those of D. aculeata, anguina, 
oppositifolia, tomentosa, and pentaphylla. Many of these possess some acridity previous 
to being dressed ; but this, as is the case with potatoes, is no doubt dissipated by heat. 
It is, therefore, less surprising to find some species with a greater degree of acrid 
principle, as in D. demonum, virosa, and, in some degree, in D. tomentosa, triphylla, 
and pentaphylla; all which, it is interesting to observe, have compound leaves. The 
tubers of one of the Himalayan species are employed in washing woollens. Zamus has 
also acrid tubers; but the only species of Oncus is called O. esculentus, from its large 
farinaceous and edible tubers. The fleshy mass of those of Zestudinaria are made use 
of as food by the Hottentots in times of scarcity: hence called Hottentot’s bread. 
176. SMILACEZ. 
The Smilaceé form an order, which is differently constituted by different botanists, 
some of the genera placed here by Mr. Brown being arranged by Dr. Lindley under 
Liliacee. Endlicher divides the family into the tribes Paridee and Convallariee, appending 
to it several allied genera. 
The Paridee consist of Paris, Trillium, and Medeola. The first found in Europe ; 
the Caucasian and Altai ranges has also a species, P. polyphylla, Sm. (Wall. Pl. As. 
Rar. t. 126) in the Himalayas, where the second, in the form of 7. Govanianum 
(v. Tab, 93. fig.3) is also found at considerable elevations, with other species in 
Kamtschatka and N. America. The Himalayan species of Paris is subject to great 
irregularities in the number of the leaves and of the parts of the flower, which I observed 
and communicated to Dr. Wallich (v. l.c. p. 25.)* | 
The tribe Convallariee includes the genera Streptopus, Smilacina, Polygonatum, and 
Smilax, belonging to the Indian and Himalayan Floras. Some of the other genera 
are found in New Holland, New Zealand, Chili, and the Straits of Magalhaens ; with 
Convallaria 
* My friend, Dr. Falconer, in reference to this irregularity of P. polyphylla, woe me, “I found Podo- 
phyllum Emodi growing intermixed with it ; and, strange to say, as if bewitched with the ee iil for 
vagaries, with every number of stamens from six to ten, and in almost every flower or filament bearing two 
anthers, and that filament invariably the one opposite the petiole of the flower-bearing “ae In = flower I 
found the following irregularities ;—six petals, ten anthers, seven filaments, or stamens if you like ; on one 
filament three anthers; on another two ; and the remaining five irregular. Singular that it and the Paris should 
grow together, and both be so irregular.” | 
ae 2 
