344 The Flowering Plants of Western India 



T.pinnatifida. Leaves very large, smooth, pinnatifid, petioles 

 erect 1 to 3 feet long, scape separate from the leaves, smooth, 

 bearing at the top an umbel of insignificant greenish flowers, 

 which only half open ; capsule roundish with 6 prominent 

 ridges, many-seeded. Sardechdmdr devkandd. 



Common in the Konkans during the rains. It is a very noticeable 

 plant. The tubers are eaten throughout Polynesia, after much wash- 

 ing, to get rid of the acridity. They yield what is called Tahiti 

 arrowroot. 



ORDER 116. DIOSCORACE^. The Yam Family. 



Herbs, usually twining, wiih simple or digitate reticulated 

 leaves ; flowers small, rarely bisexual ; perianth superior 6-lobed ; 

 male and female flowers alike, but the latter smaller ; stamens 

 3 or 6, or 3 perfect and 3 staminodes ; styles 3, very short ; 

 fruit a 3-valved capsule. 



A small order, resembling in habit and the reticulated leaves tribe 

 Smilaceae of the Lily family. The tubers of some species are the 

 yams of tropical countries. In England Tamus communis, black 

 bryony, belonging to this order, is well known by its polished leaves 

 and black berries. 



DIOSCOREA. Flowers unisexual, fruit capsular, 3-winged. 



1 . D. pentaphylla. A large climber with digitate 3 or 5- 

 lobed leaves, leaflets oblong or oval, pointed, smooth, male 

 flowers very small and fragrant, white, in large panicles, with 

 a cup-like bract below the flower, female spikes much smaller ; 

 stems and branches sometimes prickly. Shendurvel. 



Common in the Konkans and Ghauts. Throughout tropical India 

 (IT.). 



" The small flowers are sold in the bazaar and eaten as greens, and 

 are said to be very wholescme and to resemble fish roes in flavour " 

 ((?.). The tubers are also eatable. H. includes in this D.'s (and 

 apparently G.'s) D. triphylla, Mdrchaina. The root is intoxi- 

 cating and intensely bitter, and is often need to render toddy more 

 potent ((?.). 



*D. Jacquemontii, closely i allied to the last, but the flowers much 

 larger, and with the bracts streaked with brown. The Konkan, 

 between Poonaand Karli (Jacquemont) Belgaum, Ritchie (H.). Not 

 in D. or G. 



2. * D. oppositifolia. Leaves opposite, oval, waved ; male 

 flowers very numerous in panicles, female flowers few in spikes, 

 both axillary. 



