Dwscorea.1 cLiy. DIOSCOREACEJ:. (J. D. Hooker.) 293 



14. D. decipiens, Hook. f. ; leaves opposite ovate-lanceolate to 

 orbicular finely pubescent beneath strongly 3-5-nerved, margin cartilagi- 

 nous, male spikes short as in D. oppositifolia, but triandrous with 3 

 staminodes on the petals. D. glabra, Wall. Gat. 5105 Gr, H. 



BUEMA; at Prome and Taongdong, Wallich; Upper Burma, Collett. 

 Resembles D. oppositifolia so closely that an examination of very many flowers of" 

 both species was necessary to determine me to regard it as a species ; it has also 

 hitherto occurred in a different geographical area, being confined to Burma where 

 D. oppositifolia has not been collected. 



Leaves perfectly glabrous on both surfaces (see also 13. oppositifolia). 



15. D. laurifolia ? Wall. Cat. 5111 ; very slender, leaves linear or 

 narrowly oblong-lanceolate obtusely acuminate 3-nerved strongly reticulate 

 beneath, male spikes very slender deflexed, flowers very minute, pistillode 

 minute. D. glabra, Wall. Gat. 5105 B. 



PENANG, Porter, Maingay (Kew distrib. 1701), Sullett. 



Leaves 3-4^ by |-1| in., opposite and alternate, rather stiff ; base rounded or 

 cuneate; petiole ^-1 in., very slender. Male spikes l-2 in. long elongate uni- 

 lateral panicles, solitary or 2-4-nate, pendulous ; flowers T ^ in. diam., scattered ; 

 sepals broadly oblong ; petals smaller, oblong ; anthers rather large, filaments short. 

 Fruit unknown. 



Var. ? More robust, leaves shorter elliptic more coriaceous, male spikes stouter 

 very densely whorled in stifier panicles, flowers larger gibbous at the base. 

 Fein. fl. in large branched green glabrous panicles. Malacca, Griffith (Kew distrib. 

 5556). 



16. D. deflexa, Hook.f.-, leaves chiefly opposite ovate-oblong acu- 

 minate 5-nerved, base rounded or obscurely cordate, male spikes 1-li in. 

 stout deflexed, anthers large, pistillode large. 



SINGAPOEE and MALACCA, Maingay (Kew distrib. 1705, 1706). 



Branches rather stout, terete. Leaves 4-5 by l-g-3 in., strongly coriaceous, margin 

 not thickened or cartilaginous j petiole 1-1 1 in. Male spikes deflexed from the 

 base ; flowers globose, about -^ in. diam. ; sepals broadly ovate ; petals oblong. 

 Fem.fi. in long much branched lax-fld. perfectly glabrous panicles. Capsule 2 in. 

 broad, retuse at the top and base. Seeds nearly 1 in. diam., wing very broad. 

 Distinguished from oppositifolia by the deflexed male spikes and margin of leaf not 

 thickenened, and the large pistillode. 



17. D. obcuneata, HooJc.f. ; very slender, leaves opposite cuneately 

 obovate cuspidate 3-nerved membranous, petiole short very slender, male 

 spikes -1 in. very slender in very slender axillary panicles, flowers very 

 minute, pistillode obscure. 



CEYLON. 



Branches terete. Leases 2 by 1-1 in., very thin and pale when dry, very 

 slender, nervules indistinct, base narrow exactly cuneate ; petiole in. Male spikes 

 spreading horizontally, rachis almost capillary, flowers scattered, globose, sessile, 

 -L- in. diam. 1 have seen but one specimen, in the Hookerian Herbarium, marked 

 as from Ceylon by Sir W. Hooker, but with no other locality or collector's name ; I 

 have searched throughout the genus for any species at all resembling it in the 

 obcuneate- leaves with very short slender petioles. 



ft Reaves cordate, hastate or broadly truncate at the base. 



18. D. anguina, Rob. Fl.' Ind. iii. 803; softly tomentose, leaves 

 opposite, a'nd alternate large longu-petioled. broadly ovate- or orbicular- 



