296 CLIV. DiosoOREAOEjE. (J. D. Hooker.) \_Dioscorea. 



view. In Sp. Plant, he cites for sativa also Rheede's plate of D. aculeata, to which 

 Kunth and others have confined the name. Lamk. Encycl. iii. 232, gives the name 

 D. Cliffbrtiana to Linnaeus's plant, but figures (111. t. 818) a very (different one for 

 it, rejecting the name sativa because he does not consider it to be the cultivated 

 " igname." The difference in the size of the male flowers of sativa are so great 

 that I have suspected that two species may be included, but I have failed to define 

 them. 



Sect. VII. Sepals narrowly oblong or lanceolate sub-valvate. Cap- 

 side broader than long, carpels rounded. Seed winged all round. 



25. D. alata. Linn. Sp. PL 1033; quite glabrous, stem acutely 

 angled or winged, leaves subhastately or deeply cordate orbicular or ovate 

 5-7-nerved, male fl. in slender fascicled spikes. Kunth JEnum. v. 387 ; 

 Roxb. Fl Ind. iii. 797 ; Wight Ic. t. 810. D. japonica, Hb. Madr. in Wall. 

 Cat. 5107 (not of Thunb.}. D. acutangula, Ham. in Wall. Cat. 5109. D. 

 octangularis, Devipata, & Bisantaca, and Hurchusia, Herb. Ham. D. 

 odoratissima, Wall. mss. (Ic. in Herb. Kew). D. anguliflora, Steud. PI. 

 HolienacJc. exsicc. No. 699 A. D. bulbifera, Russ. ex. Wall. Gat. 



TBOPICAL INDIA (cult. ?). 



Roots very large. Stem stout (spinous towards the base in D. Devipata), often 

 tuberiferous, variously angled or winged. Leaves as in D. sativa, almost all oppo- 

 site ; from orbicular to hastately ovate ; petiole stout, often winged. Male spikes 

 and flowers as in D. satwa ; fern, in much stiffer spikes, and capsule entirely different, 

 broader than long, 1-1 in. diam., very broadly obcordate, coriaceous. Seed orbi- 

 cular, broadly winged all round. Of Steudel's anguliflora from Canara I have seen 

 young fruit only. 



IMPEBFECTLY KNOWN AND UNDBTEEMINABLE SPECIES. 



D. ACULEATA, Linn. Sp. PL 1033. The authority for this is Rheede's Katter 

 Kelengu, vii. 71, t. 37, which is unrecognizable. A knowledge of the Malabar 

 languages might reveal it. 



D. ANCKJLATA, Roxb. in Steud. Nomencl. Ed. ii. i. 511. I have found no other 

 reference to this species. 



D. ATROPTTBPTJBEA, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 800 ; tubers subrotund purple throughout, 

 branches 4-7 winged, wings coloured and curled, leaves deeply cordate 5-7-uerved, 

 petioles winged bases much enlarged and stem clasping. Cultivated in Malacca, 

 Pegu and the Eastern Islands. 



D. BULBIFEBA, Linn. Sp. PL 1033, is in same category as D. aculeata ; it is 

 Rheede's Katu-Katsjit, vii. 69, t. 36. 



D. CBISPATA, Roxb. FL Ind. iii. 802 ; tubers rounded, stem unarmed terete 

 10-15 winged, wings curled, leaves alternate broad cordate 7-11-nerved, petiole 

 with curled wings, male spikes panicled, fern, pendulous, perianth segments linear 

 white. Interior of Bengal. 



D. CTLINDBICA, Vitm. Summ. PI. v. 426. For this plant the author cites 

 Rheede Hort. Mai. vii. t. 50 which is a Cucurbit. 



D. PASCICULATA, Roxl>. Fl. Ind. iii. 801; tubers pendulous size of an egg 

 attached by slender filaments white, stem very slender, terete, prickles stipulary, 

 leaves alternate round cordate 3-7-nerved slightly villous. Cultivated near 

 Calcutta. 



D. GLOBOSA, Roxb. I. c. 797; tubers large round white, stems 6-winged 

 prickly towards the root, leaves bpposite and alternate sagittate-cordate ensiform 

 waved 5-7-nerved, petiole 5-winged nearly as long as the leaf, male spikes com- 

 pound long pendulous verticilled, fern, axillary simple erect, flowers few very remote 

 fragrant. Cultivated by Hindoos, the most esteemed yarn by Europeans. 



