1. Bmilax.] 86. LILI^CBM. [ 2. Asp abacus. 



3. S. zeylanica, L. 



Branches more or leBS 4-angled. L. 4" by If" to T by 4, 

 elliptic usaally 3-nerved from the base (or above the base, 

 F.B.I.) with 2 fainter nerves. Petiole very shortly sheathing 

 at the base. 



Sirguja, Wood. 



4. S. Roxburgbiana, Wall. 



Branches terete. L. acuminate without a hard cusp, and 

 the sheathp with large auricles. 



Parasnath, Santal Parganahs (see below). 



A specimen from Chandna, Santal Parganahs, collected in fruit in 

 May without leaves is probably this. It has branches of the panicle up to 

 3'', special peduncles ^-2'' (on same plant) and fruiting pedicels }'', berry 

 J'', seeds l-'l biconvex, reddish. 



The variability of the length of the special peduncles is characteristic 

 of this species. 



2. Asparagus, L. 



1. A. racemosns, Willd, Hnring Atkir, K t ; Kedar 



nari, 6'. 



A slender climber with tuberous roots and annual woody 

 oxickly shoots with reflexed spines. Cladodes acicular ^" 

 somewhat curved, 3-quetrons. Small, white fls, |" diam. on 

 filiform articulate pedicels §~£" long in Very short racemes. 



Common in the forests and Bcrub jungles. Fls. Bept.-Oct. Fr. Dec. 



Var. • This is a very distinct plant from the ordinarv A. racemosns 

 in its very short cladodes. Stems with strong straight reflexed thorns $" 

 long below. Branches spreading short 3-quetrous. Cladodes in groups of 

 3 . rarely 2- or 4-nate divaricate, tip with a minute white point ana angles 

 minutely scabrous. Bacemes Hi" mostly 2-nate, simple or slightly 

 branched, bracts minute. Berries -jV£" diam. scarlet. Seed usually only 

 1, black somewhat ellipsoid-globose. 



j3. Branches striate not 3-quetrourf, racemes an «r \" long. 



Cladodes as short as in the last slightly 3-grooved. The coirn-on form 

 in Singbhum, and as Col. Prain remarks* a very puzzling form. 



Roxburgh draws a distinction in the position of the embryo in the 

 species racemosuu and acerosus. As far as this is intelligible the embryo 

 nfVar. rjis inat of bis aoerosus: the radicle starts in the umbilical 



630 



