Order 8 1 . Convolvulacece. 203 



refer to the potato, our common potato being then called the Virginian 

 potato (Whewell, Hist. Inductive Sciences). This (the sweet potato) 

 was imported into England by way of Spain, and sold as a delicacy 

 (Chambers). Both the Latin and the English name are corruptions 

 of the West Indian and American names. 



8. /. pestigridis. Twining, hairy all over, leaves palmately 

 5 to 7-lobed, lobes lanceolate or ovate, flowers small, delicate, 

 white or slightly tinted, in heads surrounded by several ovate 

 bracts. 



Common in hedges. Throughout India (5".). H. has two varieties 

 with leaves varying to ovate cordate entire. 



Note. There are two other species distinguished by very promi- 

 nent bracts, both small and hairy, I.pileata, with several pink flowers 

 within a large boat-shaped perf oliate involucre, and I. pilosa, with 

 small purple-pink and white flowers in heads surrounded by bracts. 

 Both belong to the S. Konkan. 



9. /. eriocarpa (/. sessili/lora, D.). Small, covered with 

 hairs, leaves ovate cordate pointed, flowers quite or nearly 

 sessile axillary, pinkish, sepals large, points curled back ; capsule 

 quite round, large. 



For this H. and R. have ovate or linear bracts larger than the 

 calyx, which D. does not mention, and I did not note. D. has for 

 habitat only Severndrug. I had it near Malwan, and about Bombay 

 and Bandora. H. calls it common throughout India. 



10. /. obscura. A climber, more or less downy, leaves heart- 

 shaped acuminate, petioles and peduncles long, peduncles jointed 

 and bracted at the joints, and bearing two or three cream-coloured 

 flowers with purple throat, sepals ovate pointed. 



This is perhaps the commonest of the order in W. India, occurring 

 everywhere in hedges ; and H. calls it common throughout India. 

 In this case the specific name is very appropriate, for it is an 

 eminently common-place and unnoticeable plant. 



* I. Clarkei very like this, but flowers larger and sepals narrow 

 lanceolate. Konkan (H.). 



11. /. sfpiaria. Like the last but larger, stems a little hairy, 

 leaves heart-shaped, peduncles many-flowered, thick, flowers 

 pinkish with darker throat, sepals ovate oblong. Amti. 



This also is very common in hedges, and frequent throughout India 

 (H.). The leaves are frequently dark about the midrib. 



12. /. aquatica (I. reptans, D.), Creeping and floating, 

 mostly smooth, stems hollow, leaves lanceolate sagittate, 



