152. DIOSCOREACE.E. 



[1. DiOSCOREA. 



1. Stems not alate nor regularly angled. Fern, 

 perianth not attaining -06" (exc. aculeata which 

 reaches -07") :— 



a. Whole plant more or less pubescent or tomen- 



tose. Ovary tomentose, capsule not quite 



glabrous . . . . . . .1. anguina. 



b. Whole plant glabrous, or somewhat pubescent 



in oppositifolia and then ovary nearly glab- 

 rous : — 

 i. Petiole-bases not persistent and woody or 

 aculeate. L. mostly opposite. Fern. per. 

 under • 06" :— 

 t Rhachis of inflor. often pubescent. L. not 

 glaucous. Ovary and young capsule 

 with short thick beak below the perianth 2. oppositifolia 

 tt Leaves glaucous beneath. All parts glab- 

 rous : — 

 Usually prickly below. L. pale glaucous 

 beneath. Perianth quite sessile on the 

 ovary and capsule . . . .3. glabra. 



Unarmed. L. dark-glaucous beneath. 

 Ovary and capsule with a short thick 

 beak ..... .4. belophijlla. 



ii. Petiole bases persistent enlarged and often 

 aculeate. L. mostly alternate. Perianth 

 quite sessile attaining • 07" in young fruit . 



5. aculeata 



(Wallichii). 



6. Hamiltonii. 



7. alata. 



8. bulbifera. 



9. dcemona. 



2. Stems alate or regularly angled. Fem. perianth 

 attaining • 1- • 12" in length, thick and fleshy or 

 coriaceous in young fruit. Ovary and young 

 capsule beaked : — 

 Stems regularly angled. L. lanceolate to ovate. 

 Sepals dorsally keeled ..... 



Stems sharply i-angular or 4-more alate. L. 

 broadly ovate. Sepals convex dorsally . 

 B. Sepals linear. Capsule oblong. Seeds not winged 

 all round. ...... 



II. Leaves 3 digitately 3-5-foliolate, at least the lower. 

 Capsules oblong : — 



A. L. 3-foliolate, Iflts. with 3-5 costae, large, attaining 



12" by 6". Capsule 1 • 5-1 • 7" long by • 7- • 8" 



B. L. 3-5-rarely 6-foliolate or uppermost sometimes 



simple, Iflts. mostly 1-costate, not exceeding 5-5" 



by 2-5". Capsule not exceeding 1" by -5" : — 

 L. softly white tomentose beneath, upper often 



2-foliolate or entire simple. Capsule cuneately 



oblong . . . . . . . .10. tomentosa. 



L. glabrous to tomentose beneath, not as soft and 



dense as in tomentosa. Capsule not at all cuneate . 11. pentaphylla. 



C. Doubtful species. L. 6-foliolate. Lflts. 1-costate, 



up to 6" by nearly 3" ..... Ealka-pershadi 



(p. 1124). 



1. D. anguina, Eoxb. Kukuri, M. ; Kukui-sanga, Ho. ; Kosa-alu, Or. 



Stems iniarmed from a small woody rootstock, developing imme- 

 diately from its base a straight cj'lindrical tuber 18"-2 ft. long which 

 is often palmately branched. Branches densely pubescent. Leaves 

 all opposite, pubescent even when old on the nerves beneath, very 

 broadly ovate-cordate or suborbicular, upper ovate. Male spikes 

 pubescent •5-1-25" long dense-fid., closely 1-3-nate on axillary or 

 shortly panicled rhachises 2-4" long or sometimes falsely Avhorled on 

 long branches 12" and more long, buds globose pubescent or tomen- 

 tose. Fem. spikes densely pubescent, 2—4" long, solitary axillary or 



1117 



