798 DJOECiA HEXANDRiA. Dioscoreu. 



Beng. Kam-aloo. 



Katsji-Kelengii. Rheed. Mai. \n. p. 71. t. 38. 



This species is much cultivated in various parts of India. 

 On the Coroniandel coast it is, I believe, the only species 

 reared for food. In Bengal it holds only the second place, 

 C. glohosa being- more esteemed ; it is, however, much culti- 

 vated. Flowering time, the close of the rains. 



Tubers oblong, brown on the surface, internally white, in 

 a rich soil of great size, which perishes, after having produced 

 that of the succeeding year. Resides the tubers, the proper 

 roots of all those plants are fibrous, springing chiefly from, 

 and about, the union of the stems with the tubers, and 

 spreading in every direction. Stems herbaceous, twining over 

 trees and bushes to a very great extent, somewhat four-sided, 

 each angle enlarged with a copious, membranaceous, curled 

 wing, otherwise smooth, often prickly toward the base. 

 Leaves generally opposite; that is, the first only, that ap- 

 pears on the young shoots, being alternate; alllong-petioled, 

 deeply cordate, with the lobes protruding much, more or 

 less rounded, and approximated, from five to seven-nerved, 

 ensiform pointed, smooth on both sides, various in size. Pe- 

 tioles nearly as long as the leaves, five-winged, enlarged 

 at the base, coloured, and stem-clasping. Male. Spikes 

 compound, or panicled. Female. Spikes axillary, com- 

 pound, and simple, smooth. Bructes three-fold, one-flower- 

 ed. Flowers remote, small, and green. 



The description of Ubium ovale, Rumph, Amh. vol. v. p, 

 356. t. 125. agrees pretty well with this plant, so far as re- 

 lates to the stems and leaves ; but in the root they disagree; 

 no inference can be drawn from the figure. 



3. D. rubella, lioxb. 



Tubers oblong, red-skinned ; stems twining, six-winged. 

 Leaves opposite, sagittate-cordate, smooth, five or seven- 

 nerved, with subulate points. 



Beng. G?aanya aloo. 



Ubium digilatum. Rumph. Amb, v. t. 121, 



