CLIII. TACCACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) 287 



brown or lurid ; involucre of 2-6 spathes ; bracts very long, filiform, like 

 pedicels. Perianth superior, urceolate or subcampanulate, G-lobed in 2 

 series. Stamens 6, at the base of the lobes, filaments very short, base 

 dilated or appendaged on each side, above it dilated into an inflexed hood, 

 with 2-ribs or horns on the inner surface ; anthers sessile within the hood. 

 Ovary 1-celled ; style short, included, stigmas 3 broad or petaloid and re- 

 flexed like an umbrella over the style ; ovules many, on 3 parietal placentas, 

 anatropous or subamphitropous. Fruit indehiscent baccate or at length 

 3-valved, 3-6-ribbed. Seeds numerous, ovoid, testa appressed striate ; 

 albumen hard ; embryo minute. Species about 10, tropical. 



1. TACCA, Forst. 

 CHARACTER OP THE ORDER. 



1. T. pinnatifida, Forst. Plant. Esculent. No. 28; Char. Gen. 69, 

 t. 35 ; leaves tripartite segments 2-3-fid or irregularly pinnatifid or pin- 

 nate at the base, petiole and scape long smooth, invol. leaves 4-12 or more 

 subequal oblong acuminate, perianth lobes conniving subequal. jRoxb. Fl. 

 Ind.i\. 172; Grah. Gat. Bomb. PI. 230 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 276; 

 Benth. Fl. Austral vi. 48 ; Miguel Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 566 ; Kunih Enum. 

 v. 458; Lodd. Bot. Gat. t. 692. Eegel Gartenfl. t. 582; Lamk. Encycl. 

 t. 232; Treviran. Symbol, t. 54, 55; Griff. Notul. 238; Ic. PI. As. t. 272A. 

 T. pinnatifolia, Gsertn. Fruct. i. 43 t. 14. 



The CONCANS, and CENTRAL INDIA; Hazarebagh, Vicary ; Chota Xagpore, 

 Clarke. MALAYAN PENINSULA ; Malacca and CEYLON, Triucomalee. DISTEIB. 

 Australia, Malayan and Pacific Islds. 



Rootstock globose, 1 ft. diam. under cultivation. Leaves 2-3 ft. diam. ; petiole 

 1-3 ft. Scape tapering, longer than the petiole, striped dark and light green, 

 10-40-fl d. ; flowers drooping ; invol. leaves lanceolate, recurved, striped with purple ; 

 filiform bracts very numerous. Perianth greenish, subglobose, in. diam., fleshy, 

 lobes margined with purple. Fruit size of a pigeon's egg, 6-ribbed, yellow. 



2. T. cristata, Jack, in Hal. Misc. I. No. v. 23 ; leaves either oblong 

 or elliptic-lanceolate, petiole and tall scape smooth, 2 inner involucral 

 spathes very large foliaceous erect with stout flat petioles, 2 outer 

 much smaller sessile ovate acuminate cuneate, flowers dark purple, 

 perianth-lobes spreading and recurved, 3 inner much the largest, orbicular. 

 Miquel Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 578. T. Eafflesiana, Jack, in Wall. Cat. 5172. 

 Atacca cristata, Kunth Enum. v. 466 ; Bot. Mag. t. 4587. Lemaire Jard. 

 Fleur. t. 186, 187. Flore des Serres, t. 860, 861. 



MALAY PENINSULA; Malacca, Penang and Singapore. 



Rootstock conic. Leaves 1-2 ft., dark greenish -purple ; petiole very stout, brown- 

 purple. Scape as long as the leaves, stout, dirty green, grooved ; outer invol. 

 spathes 3-4 in., revolute, brown-purple, inner 6 in., elliptic, obtuse, strongly 

 plicately nerved, green, narrowed into a very stout compressed brown-purple 

 petiole; flowers drooping, pedicels stout filiform; bracts 6-8 in., pendulous, 

 pale. Perianth 1| in. diam. ; outer lobes oblong, acute, inner rounded broader than 

 long, all at length reflexed ; throat with a thickened crenate ring. Ovary turbinate, 

 6-ribbed. Stigmatic lobes ciliate. 



3. T. integrifolia. Ker.-Gaivl. in Bot. Man. t. 1488; leaves entire 

 elliptic-ovate, petiole and short stout scape rough, 2 inner invol. leaves 

 very large, spreading foliaceous petioles slender, 2 outer smaller sessile 

 ovate acuminate, flowers pale, perianth lobes spreading and reflexed, 3 



