76 



Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 



umbelled green or purple. Bracts involucral 2-6 large. Floral bracts 

 long filiform. Perianth superior urceolate or campanulate, 6 lobed. 

 Lobes subequal, lanceolate or ovate. Stamens 6 adnate to the tube, 

 filaments very short, connective broad hooded. Anthers sessile 

 concealed small. Ovary 1-celled. Style short included. Stigmas 3 

 broad or petaloid veflexed. Fruit baccate or 3-valved ribbed. Seeds 

 numerous ovoid ribbed, albuminous, embryo minute. 



TACCA, Forst. 

 Character of the order. Fruit indehiscent. 



Species about 10. Tropical Asia, Africa, 



Australasia. 

 Leaves pinnatind! ... 

 Leaves palmate 

 Leaves entire lanceolate. 

 Involucral bracts two inner ovate clawed 



purple 

 Involucral bracts two inner ovate sessile 



purple 

 Involucral bracts small lanceolate green . . . 



1. T. pinnatifida. 



2. T. palmata. 



3. T. cristata. 



4. T. vcspertilio. 



5. T. minor. 



1. T. PINNATIFIDA, Forst. Plant Esculent. No. 28, Char. Gen. 

 t. 35. Rhizome large globose. Leaf 1-3 feet tall, petiole light green 

 deeply channelled, blade 2-3 feet across tripartite or pinnatind. Scape 

 2-3 feet tall channelled. Flowers usually numerous nodding green. 

 Involucral leaves about 8 lanceolate acute 2 inches long. •£ inch wide. 

 Floral bracts very numerous filiform 6 inches long. Pedicels li inch 

 long. Perianth tube short and broad lobes subequal lanceolate fleshy 

 edges thinner green subacute .} inch long. Stamens, filaments short 

 broad, anthers oblong truncate, adnate to lobes, above the tube. 

 Style very short, stigmas peltate. Fruit ovoid ribbod as big as a pigeon's 

 egg. 



Roxb. El. Ind. II. 172, Benth. Fl. Austral. VI. 458. Miquel Fl. 

 Ind. Bat. III. 566. Kunth. Enum. V. 458. Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 692. 

 Kegel Gartenflora t. 582. Lamarck Encycl. t. 232. Griff. Notul. 

 238, Ic. PL As. t. 272A. Hook. fil. Fl. Brit, Ind. VI. 287. 



T. pinnatifolia, Gaertn. Fruct. I. 43, t. 13. 



Penang : near Pekan ; Cherating River (Ridley) ; Sungei Ujong : 

 (Herb. II. B. Singapore); Malacca: Pulau Bcsar (Maingay 3267). 

 Distribution, India, Malay Islands, Australia, Pacific. 



Occurs in sandy places near the sea. Native name " Lukeh. " 

 Tubers eaten. 



2. T. PALMATA, Bl. Enum. 1. 83. Tuber small. Leaves palmate 

 with 4 to 7 lobes broad or narrow 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide 



