260 BOTANICON SINICUM. 
is flattened [the tubers of the pan hai are globular]. After a 
year the root becomes spherical and is then as large as a hen’s 
egg and shows from 3 to 6 protuberances. The leaves shoot 
forth in the 8rd or 4th month. ‘The plant grows about one 
foot high. The leaf is at the top of the stalk from 5 to 6 
cleft. The stalk which bears the flower-spike is like a rat's 
tail and is enclosed in a spathe which resembles a ladle. The 
flowers are of a greenish gray colour, the seeds as large as 
hemp-seed. The people in Ki chou [in Chi li, App. 119] 
cultivate it in gardens under the name of ten nan sing. 
Another account says :—The ¢‘ien nan sing is also a common 
wild plant in marshes, it grows about one foot high. The 
leaves resemble those of the k‘i jo.** They stand opposite and 
clasp the stem. It flowers in the 5th month. The flowers — 
are yellow and resemble [the spadix] the head of a snake. 
The seeds are produced in the 7th month, they are of a red 
colour, resemble pomegranate seeds, and are arranged in 2 
spike (spadix). The root which is gathered in the 2nd and 
8th months resembles the ya [Colocasia. See 261], is 
spherical, flattened, and resembles the root of the hi jo 
[v. supra] with which it is frequently confounded. But the 
ki jo plant is distinguished by having a spotted stem and 
purple flowers. The root of the ¢t‘ien nan sing is small, soft and 
succulent. When roasted it bursts and splits. The nan sing 
(or southern cross) is the hu ch‘ang of the Pen king. The 
larger roots have on the margin protuberances (secondary 
tubers) which are generally cut off from the fresh root. 
Li Sxi-cHen :—The larger root is called hu ch‘ang oF 
nan sing, the smaller is yu po. Both belong to the same 
species. The larger kind is sometimes erroneously called 
BY ku kiu. But this is a different plant [see 152} 
Another name for the hu ch‘ang is pe FE hu kao. 
“$4 BE In Japan this Chinese name is applied to Conophallus konjak, 
Schott, Order Aroidee, Comp. P,, XVII, 17, 
