145. LILIACEM. [1. Smilax. 



male, -5- -75" in femaJe, large basal bract at base of inflorescence exserted from 

 the sheath. Pedicels -25- -3" or -5 in fruit. Male sepals -27" long by -06" broad, 

 oblong, rounded with thickened tips, petals about -25" narrower and thicker. 

 St. slightly longer than sepals, anthers -07- -08" linear-oblong. Berry globose 

 •3- -5" diam., 1-3-seeded, seeds biconvex. 



A preparation of the root is applied for rheumatism and pains in the lower 

 extremities, Camp. 



S. zeylanica, L. 



I cannot distinguish this from macrophylla except by the branches being more 

 or less 4-angled and its smaller leaves, both unsatisfactory characters as the bran- 

 ches of macrophylla have sometimes raised lines or several angles. The upper 

 leaves of macrophylla appear often to be like those of zeylanica. If the two are 

 identical, they will, however, all have to be called zeylanica. A specimen from 

 Sirguja, Wood, is named zeylanica in the Calcutta Herbarium, 



3. S. Roxburghiana, Wall. 



Branches terete, branchlets 4-angled unarmed. Leaves elliptic 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, obtusely acuminate Avithout a hard cusp, 

 5-8". Sheaths with large auricles. Panicles with 1-3 very unequally 

 peduncled umbels on a common peduncle 1-.3" long. Berry -3", 

 seeds 1-2 biconvex reddish. 



Parasnath ! Santal Parg. ! Fr. May. 



I have only seen fruiting specimens in the field. The proper peduncles vary 

 from •12"- -2" on the same plant. The type looks like prolifera with few umbels. 

 The Parasnath specimen has large prickles on the branches, ovate-lanceolate to 

 lanceolate leaves, larger 7" by 3-7" with finely reticulate nervation M. peduncles 

 slender, fl. buds -2". I think further study in the field will reduce it to a form of 

 prolifera. 



4. S. prolifera, Roxb. Same vern. names. 



A stout prickly climber with stems up to 1" diam., branches mostly 

 terete, armed throughout. Leaves narroAvly elliptic, ovate-oblong 

 or more rarely broadly elliptic, attaining 8" by 6", usually 5" by 2-5''' 

 to 7" by 4", sheaths \^ith large incurved Avings Avith auricles often 

 amplexicaul at base, apex often auricled laterally compressed and 

 forming a rounded keeled tip above the petiole, from the junction of 

 which and the petiole arise the two long cirrhi. Umbels in axillary 

 and terminal panicles 3-6" long usually whorled 3- (1-4-) nate, slender 

 proper peduncles about 1" long, bracts at the nodes small acute up to 

 • 12" long (in very compound panicles the main branches are supported 

 by leaf-sheaths without petiole or blade). 



More frequent than S. macrophylla especially in dryer localities, but it also 

 prefers the sides of streams, ravines, etc. Champaran, Ramnagar Hills ! Pumeah, 

 more common than macrophylla ! Chota Nagpur, all districts, frequent especially 

 in the hills ! Mayurbhanj ! Fl. Feb.-April. Fr. Nov.-Dec. 



Branches sometimes somewhat angled, prickles under -12". Leaves with a 

 short hard cusp, base rounded subacute or subcordate, 5-costate, of which the two 

 stronger lateral costse are connate with midrib to about -3" above the base, the 

 next outer from the base weaker, and there is sometimes another slender nerve 

 proceeding above the base close to the margin each side. The large sheaths on 

 older leaves are sometimes 2 • 5" long with the sides inrolled to form a closed cham- 

 ber, finally hardened. Petiole above the sheath •.'>-• 8" long, stout. Peduncle of 

 inflorescence 1-2", male proper peduncles slender 1-1-5" fem. •75-1-25" ; pedicels 

 •25- -3" or fruiting -5", perianth recurved. Male sepals -17" long, linear-oblong 

 with rounded tip, pet. linear, as long; st. about as long, anthers white linear, -06". 

 Fem. sep. stouter lanceolate from a rather broad base (-05" Avidc). Pet. with an 

 ovate-lane, base, staminodes filiform. Ovary ellipsoid, ovules 1 in each cell, 



1087 



