Dioscorea. dioecia iiexandria. 797 



DIOSCOREA. Schreh. gen. N. 1530. 



Male. Calyx six-leaved, or six-parted. Corol none. 

 Female. Calyx as in the male. Germ inferior, three-cell- 

 ed ; cells two-seeded ; attachment superior. Styles three. 

 Capsule three-celled. Seeds one or two, membranaceous. 

 Embryo ascending, centripetal, and furnished with a peris- 

 perm. 



1. D. fjlohosa. R. 



Tubers roundish, white. Stems twining, six-winged. 

 Leaves alternate and opposite, sagittate-cordate. Male 

 spikes compound, long', pendulous, and verticelled ; J'emale 

 simple. 



Beng. Choopj/ree aloo. 



I have only found this species in a cultivated state; it 

 holds the first place amongst the tuberous roots used for food 

 by the Hindoos of these parts, and is also the most esteemed 

 of the yams amongst Europeans in India. 



Root tuberous, roundish, often very large ; internally 

 very white. Stems herbaceous, twining, of great extent, 

 about six-sided, with the angles menibraiTe-winged, and 

 prickly toward the root. Leaves opposite and alternate, 

 long-petioled, broad, sagittate-cordate, ensiforni, pointed, 

 waved, smooth, from five to seven-nerved. Petioles five- 

 winged, nearly as long as the leaves. Male. Spikes axil- 

 lary, simple and compound ; the compound ones very long, 

 pendulous, and sub-verticelled. Floicers small, very numer- 

 ous. Female. Spikes axillary, simple, erect, with a few re- 

 mote, very fragrant flowers. 



2. jy.alata. Wi lid. iv. 792. 



Tubers oblong, white. Stems annual, twining, four-wing- 

 ed. Leaves opposite, deep cordate, from five to seven-nerved. 



Volubilis nigra, &c. Shane's History of Jamaica, vol. i. 

 p. 139. 



