Dioscorea. dioecia hexandri v. 805 



15. D. tomentosa. Kon. Jlss. 



Herbaceous ; tubers irregularly oblong-, twining-, downy, 

 slightly arnicil. Leaves alternate, ternate, downy ; male ra- 

 cemes axillary, compound. 



A native of the valleys amongst the mountains of the Cir- 

 cars. It appears during- the rains, with the other species ot" 

 this genus. 



Root tuberous, perennial, in shape like the common yam. 

 Stems twining, armed with a few inoffensive prickles, dow- 

 ny. £,eat;es alternate, ternate, downy, entire. Petioles dow- 

 ny, with an inoffensive prickle here and there. Racemes 

 axillary, compound, several times longer than the leaves, 

 downy; spikelets fascicled, short, closely surrounded with 

 minute, downy flowers. Bractes minute, three to each flow- 

 er. Calyx or carol six-leaved, expanding. Stamens six, 

 shorter than the calyx. 



Ihave not seen the female plant; the above description and 

 the drawing, are from male plants reared in my own gar- 

 den, at Samulkota. Roots succulent, and requiring less care 

 in dressing than those of Dioscorea triphtjlla. 



16. D. dcemona. Roxb. 



Root tuberous, biennial. 67e«is aimual, twining, armed. 

 Leaves ternate ; leaflets obovatc-cnneate, three to flve-norved. 



Ubium silvestre, Riintph. Ainb. v. t. 127, is certainly 

 this plant, while I refer D. tripliylla. IVilld. iv, 790. to Tsja- 

 fferi nnren, Rlieed. Mai. vii. t. 33. a plant well known to 

 me, though I have not yet described nor figured it. 



This very distinct species is a native of the Goruckpore 

 forests, as well as of the Moluccas, Plants from both coun- 

 tries are now before me in the Botanic garden at Calcutta, 

 where they thrive well, and blossom about the close of the 

 rains. The root is dreadfully nauseous, even after it has been 

 boiled. 



Root biennial, tuberous, roundish, variously lobate, with 

 numerous, small, (irm fibres, issuing from every part. One 



