18 THE SOURCE OF THE DRUG DIOSCOREA. 



eral branches of 2 to 3 mm. diameter. Stem 1 to 3 m. long, flexuoiis. 

 weak, pubescent. Leaves all alternate, or the three lowest verticillate 

 or SLibapp)roximate, griseous-pubescent beneath and also, though not 

 so densely, on the apex of the petiole. Staminate inflorescences soli- 

 tary in the leaf axils of the upper half of the stem, the lowest simple 

 or with one branch, the others increasingly paniculate. Pistillate in- 

 florescences developing from 1 to 4 fruits, which are about 2 cm. long. 



Dioscorea hirticaalis is probably confined to the region of the fall 

 line and to the Coastal Plain, for no stations are known further 

 inland. As it occurs about Thomson, Ga., it is confined to the branch 

 swamps, where its long rhizomes run horizontally barely beneath the 

 surface of the black muck soil. The only other Dioscorea of the 

 region, />. quaternata^ with which it shows not the least intergrada- 

 tion, has a totally different habitat. 



Specimens examined : * 



'North Carolina. — Cumberland County, Biltmore Herh.. 3G4 b. 

 Houth Carolina. — Berkeley County, //. W. Rarencl. 

 Georgia.— McDuffie County, H. 11. Bartlett, 14G8. 



5. Dioscorea floridana^nvtlett.'' Ehizomes unknown. Stem flexu- 

 ous, twining. Leaves alternate, entirely glabrous, green above, paler 

 beneath. Staminate inflorescences paniculate, terminating the stem 

 and also fasciculate by twos and threes in the upper leaf axils, the 

 larger axillary inflorescences sometimes 40 cm. long. Pistillate in- 

 florescences solitary, 5 to 7 flowered. Fruits about 2 cm. long, similar 

 in shape to those of D. panicidata. 



This species is very clearly distinguished from our other species 

 by the position of the staminate inflorescences. In material collected 

 by Mr. Harper in Georgia the larger inflorescence of an axillary 

 fascicle exceptionally bears one or two leaf -like bracts. As at the end 



praecipue ad apicem versus, hirtellis. Inflorescentiae masculae solum in 

 foliorum axillis superiorum positae, densiflorae, inferiores vix ramosae, su- 

 periores paniculatae; pedunculo perbrevi ramulisque sub lente pubescentibus, 

 alato-angulatis. Perigonium 6-partitum immaculatum. Stamina 6, filamentis 

 perbrevibus; antberis bifldo-didymis. Spicae femineae solitariae 1-4 florae; 

 capsulis circumscriptione obcordatis 2 cm. longis, aetate castaneis. Semina 

 fusca.— //. W. Ravenel, " Santee Canal, South Carolina " { $ ) ; II. H. Bartlett, 

 1468, " Branch swamp," McDufhe County, Georgia, September IS. 1908 ( 2 ). 



<i Dioscorea floridana sp. nov. Rhizoma ignotum. Caulis scandens, flexuosus, 

 glaber. Folia cordata, alterna, utrinque glabra, supra viridia, subtus pallidiora, 

 7-uervia, nervis exterioribus biiurcatis. Inflorescentiae masculae paniculi- 

 formes et caulem terminantes et binis trinisve in folioi-um axillis superiorum 

 fasciculatae; floribus aut singulis aut binis sessilibus, valde flavis, maculatis; 

 staminibus hand didymis. Spicae femineae pendulae, solitariae, ca. 6-florae. 

 Capsulae foi-ma eis D. paniculatae similes, ca. 2 em. longae. — " Moist thickets, 

 Lake City, Fla.," P. H. Kolfs, 266 {$), June 18, 1894; Charleston, S. C, in 

 Herb. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. ( $ ) . 

 189 



