Zephyranthes AMARYLLIDACEAE-DIOSCOREACEAE Dioscorea 



2. Zephyranthes carinata (Spreng.) Herb. 'M^Kvc (Sai Fan Hung Hua) (B.M. 254). 

 Fig. scape with the lvs., to 4dm. high; fls. rose-red, V-VI. Mexico, Central 

 America, West Indies; locally in An. Planted, ornamental. 



6. Crinum Linn. ScM^U (Wen Shu Lan Shu) 

 Large bulbous herbs with broad and long strap-shaped persistent lvs.: fls. in a 

 2-bracteate umbel at the top of a leafless scape; perianth with a long-cylindric tube, 

 usually much exceeding the linear to oblong segments; stamens 6, attached on the 

 throat of the perianth, with thread-like filaments and versatile anthers: fr. a subglobose 

 dehiscent capsule with a few large seeds. 100 species, in warm regions; 2 in China. 

 (Greek: krinon, lily.) 



1. Crinum asiaticum Linn. St. John's Lily tCMM (Wen Shu Lan; God-of-wisdom 

 Orchid) (B.M. 253). Lvs. strap-shaped, to 1 m. long; scape 1-2 m. high; fls. white 

 or pink, VII-X. India to Malaya; locally in Ku. Planted, ornamental. 



7. Narcissus Linn. 7Jcf[IlM (Shui Hsien Shu) 

 Plants from scaly bulbs, with basal lvs. and yellow or white fls. solitary or in 

 umbels from a tubular spathe on the top of a leafless scape; perianth salverform and 

 bearing a tubular or cup-shaped crown or corona appearing like an extra corolla near 

 the junction of the more or less reflexed lobes of the perianth; stamens inserted in 

 the tube; filaments mostly inserted: fr. a membranous loculicidal capsule. 25 or 30 

 species, in Eurasia; one cultivated in China. (Greek: Narcissus, son of the nymph 

 Liriope, in Greek mythology, changed into the flower of that name.) 



1. Narcissus tazetta Linn. Polianthus Narcissus 7k{[i] (Shui Hsien; Water Fairies) 

 (B.M. 259). Fig. scape with the lvs., 2-3 dm. high; fls. white, yellow center, II. 

 Eurasia; locally in Ku. Planted, ornamental. Fig. 490. 



190. DIOSCOREACEAE Yam Family Mj$M (Shu Yii K'o) 



Twining or climbing vines (ours) rarely erect herbs or shrubs, with fleshy or 

 woody roots: lvs. simple or digitate, ribbed and net- veined, petiolate: fls. small, 

 unisexual or perfect, in axillary spikes, racemes or panicles ; perianth 6-lobed ; stamens 

 3 or 6; staminodes 0, 3 or 6; ovary 3-celled: fr. a 3-valved, 3-wingcd capsule with 

 winged seeds (ours), or baccate. 10 genera with 225 species, widely distributed; one 

 genus with 25 species in China. 



1. Dioscorea Linn. Yam HHIS (Shu Yii Shu; Tuber Genus) 



Herbaceous twining vines with tuberous roots: stems often bearing aerial tubers: 

 fr. a 3-winged capsule. 160 species, widely distributed; 25 in China. (In honor of 

 Dioscorides, a famous Greek physician and botanist.) 



Key to the Species 

 a. Lvs. alternate. 



Stems bulbiferous: lvs. cordate-ovate, acuminate-cuspidate, not 



lobed 1 . /). hulbifera 



Stems not bulbiferous: lvs. lobed or if entire then cordate-oblong, 

 acuminate, glaucescent beneath. 

 Frs. and lvs. (beneath) glaucescent: lvs. mostly entire, cordate- 



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