209 



The interior of the tuber is yellowish white, and unless fully- 

 ripe the flavour is somewhat bitter. It is a coarse yam, and although 

 extensively grown for use by the poorer classes, is not much used by 

 the " well to do." The Trinidad name gives a clvie to its being some- 

 Avhat of a favourite. Of all the varieties, it is the one which can be 

 had most frequently in and out of season, and the practice is to 

 uncover and cut away the tuber from one side of the plant at a time, 

 covering the roots up again, and allowing it to go on producing other 

 tubers ; a practice also followed with other species but not in so great 

 a measure as with this kind. " Afou" yam can in fact be had almost 

 all the " year round." * 



DiOSCOREA GLABRA, ROXB., OR D. BATATAS, DeCAISNE. 



Stem slightly angular, prickly, leaves cordate, pointed, 11 nerved or less — 

 slightly hairy on the upper and lower surfaces, 3 to 5 inches in diameter, sinus 

 almost closed, the lobes overlapping at times. 



This yam produces large bixnches of cylindrical tubers (10-20) 



from two to four inches in diameter and from four inches to one foot 



in length with a soft shining skin. When boiled the tubers are mealy 



and good, but unripe, they are slightly bitter. 



DiOSCOREA TRIFIDA, L. 



Stem angular, narrow-winged ; leaves 3 to 5, lobed beyond the middle, 

 glabrous, or glabrate beneath, dotted with pellucid lines. 



" Cush-cush," " Couche-couche" or " Indian Yam." The tuber 

 of various forms of this species are well known as table vegetables, 

 and are in general use during their season. In Jamaica this is known 

 as the " Indian Yam." In British Guiana a variety of this is called 

 '' Buck Yam." Specimens of this variety which were imported to 

 these Gardens were much larger than those grown in Trinidad, and 

 some of the tubers show a distinct tendency to the palmate form, 

 while in Jamaica and Trinidad the roots grown are almost universally 

 cylindrical in form, from six to eight inches in length, and two or 

 three or exceptionally four in diameter. 



Nicholls places the " Cush-cush" under Dioscorea triphjlla, but 

 our specimens do not warrant our following his nomenclature. The 

 word " Cush-cush" is evidently an adaption of the French word 

 Couchee (" place where one stops when travelling") from the root 

 forming the basis of meals taken by travellers when stopping for the 

 night. Roasted ^ Cush-cush" with a little salt butter being a food 

 commonly used. 



* Since writing the above I have received specimens said to be " Afou" yam 

 which proved a fine table variety, but I have yet to prove to what species it 

 belongs. 



