Dioscorea purpurea, Roxb. —India« Tn Bengab<on- 
sidered next best to D. Alata. a 
Dioscorea sativa, L.—South Asia, east as far as 
Japan, also in the South Sea Islands and North and 
tropical East Australia; likewise recorded from trop- 
ical Africa. Stem cylindrical, not prickly. The acrid 
root requires soaking before boiling. It has proved 
hardy in the Southern States of North America. 
Dioscorea spicata, Roth. —India. Root used like 
those of other species. 
Dioscorea tomentosa, Koenig. — Ooyala Yam. In- 
dia. The nomenclature of some of the Asiatic spe- 
cies requires further revision. 
Dioscorea trifida, L. fil_—Central America. One of 
the yams there cultivated. Various other tuberous 
Dioscorese occur in tropical countries ; but their re- 
spective degrees of hardiness, taste, and yield are 
not recorded or ascertained. The length of the Vic- 
torian warm season is probably sufficient for ripen- 
ing all these yams. 
Diospyros Kaki, L. fil.—The Date-plum of China 
and Japan. A slow-growing, not very productive 
tree, here recorded for completeness. The fruit is 
yellow, or pink, or dark purple, variable in size, but 
never larger than an ordinary apple, It has ripened 
at Sydney. D. Virginiana, L., has been recorded 
among the timber-trees. 
Dipsacus fullonum, L.—Fuller’s Teazel. Middle 
and South Europe and Middle Asia. A tall, biennial 
herb. The thorny fruit-heads in use for fulling in 
cloth factories. The import during one of the last 
years into England was valued at £5,000. The plant 
is most easily raised. The use of these teazels has 
not yet been superseded by any adequate machinery. 
