1. Dioscobea. ] 89. DIOSCOREACE&. 



perianth broad not pulvinate. Sep. nearly free oblong 



obtuse dotted and with scarious margins. Pet. ell. oblong 



nearly as long, 2-ridged within. Capsule lees broad than in 

 last, less cordate at base. 



Eocky valley forests in Singbhum, common, jnot on the hills. Fla. 

 Bept.-Nov. Ft. Dec.-Jany. 



Bulbils rather rare, narrow clavate or linear often 1-2 v long, smooth 

 with hard points. L. variable, rarely orbicular, often sagittate with 

 ronnded basal lobes, a much deeper green than in last and nervation 

 very different, the sec. n. being distinctly scalariform. Petioles slender 

 nearly always ridged in the uppei portion and sometimes throughout 

 with the decurrent primary nerves of the leaf. Bt. on a short column, 

 about f ths as long as the petals. Cells adnate to and not much wide 

 than the fleshy filament. Pistillode 3-gonous at top. F. spikes usually 

 1-3. in each axil, 3-5'' long with angular rachis. Bracteole not much 

 Bmaller than th? ovate or cordate bract. 



The most highly prized Of the forest yams, but often impossible to 

 obtain owing to the tubers being wedged in the crevices of rocks. 



4. D- aculeata, L. Syn. D. Wallichii, F.B.I.; Kulu, 

 Tnngam sanga, K. 



Stems very stout somewhat thorny below and charac- 

 terized by the hard thick bases of the articulate petioles 

 which are also sometimes thorny at the base. Tubers 

 elongate 2-3 ft. and 2-4" girth rising directly from the 

 base of the stem without the intervention of long roots. L. 

 mostly alternate sub-orbicular or broadly ovate with a largo 

 basal sinus usually cuspidate. M. spikes \-\" long rather 

 lax, 2-3-nate on the branches of* a panicle 1^-4" long. 

 Buds sub-globose 3-lobed. Sepals nearly free, oblong-ovate 

 concave. Petals similar. Anther cells very large broad, 

 as long as the filament. F. spikes always racemed on a 

 short rarely long axillary branch. Capsule \\* diam., 

 tapering below (when ripe?). 



Singbhum, esp. in the valley forests and on northern slopes, frequent. 

 Hazaribagh. Fls. Nov.-Dec. Ft. J any. 



Bulbils not seen. L. cuspidate or caudate. Costse about 9 with the 

 lowest forked. Sec. n. scarcely visible above, scarcely raised beneath 

 and only few straight and scalariform, finely reticulate between. 

 (Translucent dots and dashes are usually visible both in this species and 



531 



