266 ON THE PLANTS CULTIVATED OR NATURALIZED 
The ' Y. algodona ' and ' caribita ' are the most common forms. The 
latter name is taken from that of the Caribs ; the first refers to the 
snowy, cotton-like appearance of the interior of the cooked root. There 
is but one form of ' Y. amarga ' cultivated, resembling so much the 
' Y. algodona,' that I looked in vain for some valuable distinctions. The 
number of leaflets is by no means a trustworthy character ; leaves with 
8, 5, and 7 leaflets, being always found together on the same plant. 
The younger leaves have generally the lesser number of leaflets ; they 
are always odd. 
Colocasia esculenta, Schott (var. a. alba, Seem. Bot. Her. 212). 
Little cultivated under the name ' Ocumo.' This is a Cumanagoto word 
(a language belonging to the Caribbean family), found also in local 
names, as 'Ocumarc' (from Ocumuuar, a place where the 'Ocumo' grows 
abundantly) . The Asiatic origin of ' Colocasia ' cannot be doubted, 
considering the facts brought together by Alphonse De Candolle (Geogr. 
Bot. 817). It was known in Spain, at the time of the American Con- 
quest, under the name of ' Alcolcaz.' Now, as it certainly has been 
brought to Venezuela by the Spaniards from Spain, it seems strange 
that there is no trace whatever of the name known to the introducers. 
But I think this can easily be accounted for. The fleshy underground 
stems of several Aroidese, when roasted, become eatable. It is there- 
fore highly probable that the Caribs used already an indigenous species, 
under the name ' Ocumo,' and that this name was afterwards trans- 
ferred to Colocasia, which was principally cultivated by the slaves or 
their own use, and very little esteemed by the Spaniards, so that thes.- 
did not care for conserving the true name. The Spanish names 
European plants have been very often transferred to Venezuelan plants, 
on account of some real or fancied congruency in form or piop 
ties. Why should the reverse not have taken place ? 
The name ' Colocasia ' (or « Colcas ') may be found in the island °1 
Jamaica, where the plant is called 'Coco' (Brown, Jam. p. 332; 
Lunan, Hart. Jam. i. 211); even the Polynesian name *Taro or 
« Tallo * is recognisable in « Taya,' the name of a variety cultivated in 
the same island (Lunan, i. 212). 
Dioscorea— We cultivate D. acvleata, L., and D. alata, L. (var- a- 
Stem 4-winged ; tuber simple ; Griseb. Flora of the Brit. West. In • 
Ibift 
uder the name of ' Name <!c mata,' but the latter is uncommon. 
Isl. 587) under the name of 
