238 DIOECIA. PESTANDRIA. 



ternate, cordale, ovate or sublanceolate, rarely hastate^ 

 the petiole producing- on either side a tendril; flowers 

 umbellate, axillary, caducous. 



Species. ) . S. hastata. 2. Bonanox. 3. qxiadrangiila-^ 

 ris. 4. Savsaparilla. Underside of the leaves (or another 

 species!) soir.etimes not only glaucous but villous. 5. ova- 

 ta. Ph. 6. lanceolata. Also alba? Ph. 7. p'ibera. Ber- 

 ries red; not white! 8. Psendo-China 9. roUmdifoIia. 10. 

 cadiica 11. lannfolia. Hab. Fronri Delaware to Florida. 

 32. tamnoides. S.pandiiratns, Ph. 13- pedwiciduris. — P'emale 

 flower pro'.iucing 6 intern le filaments. Sii;^'mas 3, each 3- 

 lo! ed; c^er.n S-cel!ed, celis 2 seeded. 14. herbacea. Flow- 

 ers extremely foetid, almost similar to those of Stapelia hir- 

 suta. Thcsv 2 last species a)ipear to indicate a distinct 

 section in t!ie t^eiuis, prjssessintf the habit of Dioscorea. 



The pr'incip.il part of this j^enus of near 50 species are 

 natives of tropical America; there are also species in In- 

 dia, Kurope, Barbary and the Levant. 



794. DIOSCOREA. L. (Yam root) 



Masc. Cnlix 6-parte(l. Corolla none. Fem. 

 Flower as the male. SlijUs S. Capsule 3-celled, 

 triangular, compressed; cells 2-see(led. Seeds 

 mcmbranaceously margined. 



Ilerbact^ois and twining-; leaves alternate, more rarely 

 oppv'sitc and verticillate, mostly simple, cordate, or ovate 

 and lonsiludlnally nerved, (in 2 species dig-itate or ternate, 

 in a few others palniatcly lobed.) flowers axillary, race- 

 r^iose and paniculate, solitary or parcially conglomerate; 

 loot often tuberous and large. 



Species. 1 D- quatertiata. I), ghmca. ^^nh\. Catal. 2. 

 riUosa Hab. From ('-anada to Florida. Female flowers 

 sinipl^' racemose. Masculine paniculate, glomerate. 



Of this ,crenus there are in tropical America 12 species, 

 10 in India, 3 in Japan, and 2 in Cochir.chlna. D. sativa, 

 the Yam, cultivated for food, is said to be indigenous to 

 India. 



795. GLEDITSCHIA. L. (Honey Locust.) 

 Hermaph. Calix 6 to 8-partcd, deciduous, 



3 or 4 <»f \\n- exterior segments smaller. Corolla 

 none. Stamina 5 or 6, rarely 8. Legume flatly 

 compressed; 1, or many-seeded. Masc. Calix 



