Dioscorea.'] CLIV. DIOSOOREACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) 295 



22. D. Wallichii, Hook. f. ; quite glabrous, leaves opposite long- 

 petioled ovate or orbicular-cordate 7-nerved, male spites 1 in. in short axil- 

 lary and terminal spreading panicles, flowers globosely 3-lobed, stamens 

 short, pistillode large globose. D. sativa, Herb. Madr. in Wall. Cat. 5708, 

 A, B, F, D. ? D. nummularia, Willd. ex, Roxb. FL Ind. iii. 803. 



SILHET, CACHAR, MUNNEPORE and BUEMA, common. CHOTA NAGPORE, Clarke. 

 TRAVANCOEE, Herb. Madr. (Cult.?). 



Branches stout, terete. Leaves 3-6 in., as broad, always broadly cordate with 

 rounded sides and a broad sinus, very finely i*eticulate beneath; petiole 3-5 in. 

 flowers about ~ in. diam. ; sepals and petals suborbicular ; stamens inserted under 

 the pistillode ; anthers small. Capsule 1 in. diam., emarginate at the tip. Seeds 

 orbicular, broadly winged. The very broad rounded long-petioled glabrous leaves 

 and large pistillode are good characters. 



Sect. V. Sepals orbicular. Stamen 6 antheriferous ; anther cells com- 

 bined. Capsule longer than broad. Seeds laterally winged. 



23. Z>. Hamilton!, Hook. f. ; quite glabrous, stem angled or slightly 

 winged, leaves cordately or subhastately ovate or lanceolate 7-9-nerved, 

 male spikes \ in. rachis very slender zigzag, stamens very short, pistillode 

 obscure. D. sativa, Wall. Cat. 5108. D. aculeata, Wight Ic. t. 2060. D. 

 alata, Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 587. D. incrassata and ovata, Herb. Ham. 



SIKKIM, ASSAM, CACHAR, BEHAR, CHOTA NAGPORE, MALABAR and BTTRMA; in 

 all ? cultivated. DISTRTB. St. Domingo (cult.). 



Branches slender. Leaves opposite and alternate, undistinguishabie from those 

 of D. glabra ; petiole l-2 in. Male spikes whorled on the branches of very slender 

 elongate axillary and terminal panicles ; flowers globose, -^ in. diam. ; sepals broad; 

 petals cuneafe-obovate. Capsule 1-1^ in. long, membranous, sides parallel, tip acute, 

 base cordate. The slender zigzag rachis of the male spikes, well represented by Wight, 

 is quite peculiar to this species. I regret having to reject both Hamilton's names 

 from being unable to comprehend their significance in respect of this plant. 



Sect. VI. Sepals narrow, subvalvate, linear or linear-lanceolate. 

 oblong. Seeds, winged laterally. 



24. D. sativa, Linn. Sp. PL 1033 (easel, syn. Rheede); Hort. Cliff. 

 t. -28 ; quite glabrous, stem terete bulbiferous, leaves broadly ovate-cordate 

 acuminate cuspidate or caudate 7-9-costate, male spikes slender panicled. 

 Benth. Fl. Honk. 368 ; Fl. Austral, yi. 460. D. bulbifera, Br. Prodr. 294. 

 ? Wight Ic. t. 878. D. Cliffortiana, Lam. Encycl. iii. 232 (not of 111. t. 818). 

 D. versicola, Herb. Ham. ; Wall. Cat. 5106. D. pulcheUa and heterophyla, 

 Rottb. Fl. Ind. iii. 80V804. D. decemangularis and D. Tunga, Herb. JEZqm. 

 Helmia bulbifera, KuntJi JSnum. v. 435. 



Tubers large, variable in form. Stem slender, green or purple. Leaves opposite 

 and alternate, very variable in size, attaining 14 in. in length and breadth, mem- 

 branous, dark green, usually very deeply cordate but sonietime*s with only a shallow 

 broad sinus ; petiole 2-6 in. Male spikes almost capillary, 1-4 fa. ; flowers crowded 

 or scattered, very variable in size, .green or purplish; sepals -^ \ in. long, fleshy; 

 petals rather narrower ; filaments much shorter than the perianth ; anthers minute, 

 didymous. Fern, spikes 4-10 in. long, pendulous ; flowers - in. long; sepals as in 

 the male. Capsule f-1 by ~|- in., membranous. Seeds with a broad basal wing. 

 I follow Bentham in regarding this as Linnaeus' s sativa ; an inspection of the plate in 

 ' Hortus Cliffortianus," which is Linnaeaus's au the rity for the species, confirming this 



