314 CLVI. LILIAOE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) [Smilax. 



Wall. Cat. 5124 B, D, in part. The specimens are quite insufficient for determina- 

 tion. They may belong to S. zeylanica or Roxkurghiana. 



S. TILLANDIA, Ham. in Wall. Cat. 5123 ; Eoyle III. 384, t. 94. Rheede Hort. 

 Mai. vi. t. 31. Detached leaves alone exist in Wallich's and Hamilton's Herbaria 

 (from the Nepal Momng), and may belong to any one of several species. Royle's 

 plant is only knowni from the figure the inflorescence of which represents nothing 

 known to me. Rheede's plant is undeterminable. 



2. XXETEROSMIZiAX, Kuntli. 



-Characters of Smilax, but perianth tubular, mouth contracted, 

 2-5-toothed, and stamens 3 with more or less connate filaments. Species 

 5, Indian, Malayan, Chinese and Japanese. 



U. indica, A.DO. Monogr. Smilax, 43 ; leaves ovate- or oblong- 

 lanceolate acuminate, filaments connate to about the middle, anthers 

 obtuse. 



ASSAM and the KHASIA HILLS, alt. 1-4000 ft. 



Stem very slender. Leaves 4-3 by 2-3 in., 5-nerved, rather thin, base rounded ; 

 petiole |-1 in., subterete, sheathing base very short, cirrhose. Peduncles solitary, 

 axillary, lJ-2^ in., flattened; umb.-ls many-nd.; bracteoles minute, ovate, acumi- 

 nate; pedicels i-1^ in. ; flowers very many, obovoid, male in. long. Fruit f in. 

 diam., globose. Seeds 2, hemispheric. Very near H.japonica, Maxim., but differing 

 by the filaments being united only half way up, and the anthers obtuse. 



3. ASPARAGUS, Linn. 



Eootstoclc stout, creeping. Stem erect straggling or climbing, terete 

 grooved or angled. Leaves minute scales, often spinescent, bearing in their 

 axils tufts of needle-like or flattened branchlets (cladodes). Flowers 

 small or minute, axillary, rarely uni-sexual, solitary fascicled or racemed, 

 pendulous ; pedicel jointed. Perianth campanulate, 6-partite. Stamen 

 on the bases of the segments ; anthers oblong. Ovary 3-gonous ; style 1, 

 stigmas 3 ; cells 2- or more- ovuled. Berry globose. Seeds 2-6 ; testa, 

 black, brittle; embryo dorsal. Species about 100, Europe and Temp, and 

 Trop. Asia and Africa. 



* Flowers axillary, solitary clustered or umbelled, not racemed. 



j* Leaves not or rarely spinescent. Gladodes sliort straight or falcate. 



1. A. filicinus, Ham. in Don Prodr. 49 ; tall, erect, cladodes 2-5- 

 nate falcate flat acuminate costate, pedicels solitary or 2-nate, flowers 

 polygamous. Kunth Enum. v. 73; Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 605. 



TEMPERATE and TROPICAL HIMALAYA, from Kashmir 4-7000 ft. eastwards, 

 alt. 6-900 J ft., to Bhutan (except Sikkim). The KHASIA HILLS alt. 5-6000 ft. 

 ASSAM and BURMA.- DISTRIB. China. 



Stems flexuous, fistular, much branched, smooth, unarmed, lower branches spread- 

 ing; upper internodes short. Cladodes T V-i i- Pedicels Oor \-% in., jointed about 

 the middle. Perianth T V~To * n - subcampanulate. Stamens short ; anthers minute. 

 Berry i |- in. diam. The following are marked forms. 



A. TILICINUS proper ; cladodes -i in., pedicels very slender ^-f in. Central and 

 Western Himalaya. 



Var. BREVIFIPES, Baker 1. c. ; cladodes - by ^j in., pedicels very short. Assam 

 and Khasia hills. 



