AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 147 
potato. It twines its long stems about the 
nearest object, sometimes dangling in handsome 
festoons, crowded with shining leaves which 
are cordate, heart-shaped, acute, and undivided. 
The racemes of male flowers are very delicate, 
of a pale yellowish green colour, and longer 
than the leaves; there are 6 stamens in each 
flower. The clusters of flowers on the female 
plant are shorter, and the leaves usually 
smaller ; the stigmas are 3 in number. 
In greenhouses are various species of Dios- 
corea, and a very singular plant of this Order 
called “ Elephant’s-foot,” Testudinaria Elephan- 
tipes, which presents a huge tuber divided into 
compartments on the surface, like the shell 
of a tortoise, this being, in fact, a thickened 
compressed stem, which sends forth slender 
branches. 
Lryonia is at once distinguished from Tamus 
by its palmate leaves resembling those of the 
vine, and having a rough surface on both sides. 
The plant spreads more widely than Tamus ; 
the flowers are much larger, and in clusters of 
only 3 to 6; its male flowers have 5 stamens. 
Although in Manuals of the Linnzan System 
Bryonia is placed in Cl. XXI., Moncecia, the 
