1. DiOSCOKEA.] 



152. DIOSCOREACE.E. 



Kfa' (A.) TO ■Male Plants. 



I. L. all simple. Stamens 6 fertile. Fls. sessile : — 

 A. Sepals broad. Male spikes usually stiffly spreading 

 2" or less in length : — 



1. Spikes not zigzag. Stems not alate nor con- 



tinuously angled (they are sometimes ridged 

 below nodes) : — 



a. Whole plant, esp. inflorescence and shoots 



pubescent or tomentose :^ 

 Bulbiferous. L. all opposite, broadly ovate 

 or orbicular. Epipetalous stamens inserted 

 on the petals 1. anguina. 



b. Glabrous, or inflorescence slightly pubescent 



(rarely shoots somewhat pubescent in oppo- 

 sitifolia) : — 

 i. Buds somewhat oblong-globose with very 

 broad, often pulvinate base, not pro- 

 minently 3-lobed. Base of petioles not 

 persistent nor greatly hardened : — 

 t L. not glaucous. Inflorescence sweet- 

 smeUing usually somewhat pubescent. 

 L. all opp. more or less oblong. Tubers 

 direct from rootstock. Unarmed . 2. oppositifolia. 

 tt J-'- glaucous beneath, opp. and alternate. 

 Inflor. glabrous. Tubers at tlie ends of 

 long fleshy fibres : — 

 Usually prickly below. L. pale glaucous 

 beneath, nerves not scalariform. Fls. 

 sickly smelling. Petals fleshy . . 3. glabra. 



Unarmed. L. dark blue-green beneath 

 with scalariform sec. n. Petals thin. 

 Bulbils narrow or clavate, muricate . 4. belophylla. 

 ii. Buds globose, prominently 3-lobed. Base of 

 petioles persistent hardening thickening 

 and often spinous : — 

 L. rather coriaceous, orbicular, not glau- 

 cous, sec. n. not, or obscurely scalariform. 

 Stamens central. Tubers fascicled direct 

 from thickened base of stem . . .5. aculeaia. 



2. Spikes zigzag with a globose flower at each angle. (WalHchii). 



Stems regularly angled or alate : — 

 Wild species, slender stems angled not alate, im- 

 armed. L. lanceolate to ovate. Bulbils 0. 

 Climbs left to right ..... 



Cultivated only. Stout stems 4-angled or 4- 

 more alate. L. very broadly ovate. Bulbils 

 large ........ 



B. Sepals linear. Petals linear tapering. Spikes 

 slender drooping 1-3 • .5" or more long. Rhizome 

 or tuber large and subglobose. Bulbils frequent, 

 tubercled ...... 



II. Leaves some or all digitately 3-5-foliolate. Fls. often 

 shortly pedicelled : — 



A. Stamens 6 perfect. L. 3-foliolate, Iflts. large (3-12") 



B. Stamens 3 perfect and 3 staminodes. L. 3-5-folio- 



late or upper simple : — 

 L. softly white-tomentose beneath. Staminodes 



and St. nearly as long as sepals 

 L. glabrous to tomentose, but not softly tomentose. 



Staminodes and stamens much shorter than sepals 



C. Doubtful species. L. 6-foliolate. Lflts. large 



Key (B.) to Female Plants. 



Leaves all simple. Spp. 1-8 :— 



A. Sepals not linear. Capsule broader than long, seeds 

 winged all round (not seen in alata). Spp. 1-7: — 



1116 



6. BamiUonii. 



7. alata. 



8. bidbifera. 



9. dcemona. 



10. tomentosa. 



11. pentaphylla. 

 Kalka-pershadi 



(p. 1124). 



