52 FOUR NEW SPECIES OF AROIDER. 
potato, more than any other root found in Tahiti. It is highly farina- 
ceous, though less nutritive than the Yam; the stem resembles the 
Woodbine or Convolvulus. The natives say the flower is small and 
white; [ never saw one, for it is not cultivated, and but seldom 
sought, as the tuberous root is small, and more than two are seldom 
found attached to the same vine or stalk.” The Patara will probably 
prove to be no Cucurbitacea at all, but Dioscorea pentaphylla, Linn., 
which I find mentioned in Cuzent’s list under the native name of 
“ Paauara ;" but Patara is probably the correct name. The “Paauara” 
proper of Tahiti is, from all I can learn, identical with Dioscorea 
aculeata. 
z FOUR NEW SPECIES OF 4AROIDER. 
By H. Scnorr, Pu.D. 
Dieffenbachia conspurcata, Schott, n. sp.—Petiolus 8-12 pollices 
longus, parum l. valde-crassus, ad J. ultra medium vaginatus, dorso 
pallidus, maculis parvis albis. dense irregulariter guttato-irroratus. 
„Lamina fol, exacte oblongo-elliptica, basi obtusata, rotundata vel sub- 
cordata, apice abrupte angustata, cuspide modica triangulari-acuminata 
aucta, supra, precipue juxta. vel in coste vicina disci parte maculis 
irregularibus albis et pallide-viridibus erebris conspersa, ceterum sub- 
opaca vel nitidula tantum, venis exortu apertissime patentibus, mar- 
ginem versus arcuatim sursum curvis utrinque 11-13. Longitudo 
laminze 13—15-pollicaris, latitudo 6-pollicaris.— Pará, Brasilia. 
-v Observatio : Dieffenbachie a celeb. Lemaire et Verschaffelt divul- 
gate, denominationibus hucusque incognitis exornatze, notis hominibus 
uti videtur sunt adpellandw. Sic Dieffenb. grandis, Lem. el Versch., 
est D. cognata, Schott ; Dieffenb. Verschafteltii, Zem., est D. irroráta, 
Martius, et Dieffenb. Baraquini illorum est D. humilis, Popp. qq? 
Rhodospatha Wendlandii, Schott, n. sp.— Petioli pedales et ultra, 
in geniculum usque vaginati. Lamina fol. elliptica, 14-18 pollices 
longa, 6-7 pollices medio lata, basi rotundata, apice quoque rotun- 
data, cuspidulo brevi, vix tres lineas prominente aucta, venis pluri- 
mis aperte-patentibus, parum marginem versus curvis; 
HG ae ; : Pedunculus 
dimidium petiolum fulcientem circiter metiens, 
vagina illius maxima 
