38 X. DioscoREACE.E. [Dioscoreci 



blade, the petiole and under surface of the leaf similarly hairy to 

 the stem, upper face of leaf glabrescent ; a bulbil sometimes occurs 

 in the axil of the uppermost leaves ; male spikes simple, in axillary 

 fascicles of 2 to 4, equal to or slightly exceeding the leaves ; 

 peduncle, bracts, bracteole, and back of sepals similarly stellately 

 tomentose : flowers solitary, subsessile, bracts small shorter than 

 the flower, ovate-acuminate, bracteole similar but half the size ; 

 perianth cyathiform, segments subequal, 3 outer oval to oval- 

 oblong, concave, blunt, 3 inner glabrous, rather broadly oval, 

 blunt, flat, with a fleshy median keel along the upper (inner) 

 face; stamens 6 all fertile, the inner twice the length of the 

 outer ; outer 3 short sharply kneed and bent inwards below the 

 anther insertion, anther globose with a short apical dorsal 

 recux'ving - spur, inner 3 suberect Avith a less prominent dorsal 

 knee below the anther which is only half the size of the outer 

 and has a smaller spur ; gynoecium represented by 3 linear- 

 subulate subtriquetrous processes united at the base, and a little 

 shorter than the inner stamens. 



Leaf-blades on a flowering branch diminishing upwards from 

 3 in. to ^ in. in length, and becoming more shallowly cordate, 

 the petioles from 2-i to ^ in. ; male spikes 6 in. or shorter ; flowers 

 a little over 1 line long, whitish, slightly fragrant, bracts 4 line ; 

 perianth-segments scarcely 1^ line long, outer stamens ^ line, 

 inner f line, carpel rudiments i line. 



Near D. hirtiflo7'a Benth. (of the Niger region), from which it 

 differs in its ferruginous indumentum, and the fertility of both 

 whorls of stamens, as well as in other points of floral structure. 



GoLUNGO Alto. — Woody thickets Monte de Queta above N-delle, 

 but rare. In fl. April 185G. No. 4039. 



The following specimen consisting of leaves only probably 

 belongs here : — 



Ambaca. — A climber with the habit of Dtoscorca ; one specimen 

 only was found and without flower. In woods of Araliaceas near the 

 river Lucala ; Oct. 1856. No. 4034. 



4. D. sativa L. Sp. PL p. 1033 (1753); Welw. Apont. p. 543; 

 Durand k Schinz, I.e. 



D. hulbifera L., I.e. Helmia hulhifera Kth. Enum. v. p. 435 (1850). 



GoLUNGo Alto. — Suffruticose rarely shrubby, stems 10 to 20 ft. 

 long, cord-Uke, very high climbing, then hanging, bulbiferous. On 

 palms {Ehf'fs, liaplda) and other trees by the banks of the Delamboa. 

 In fl. and fr. April 1856. No. 4037. The following number in Coll. 

 Cajjp. may belong to this species. Aerial axillary tubercles of some 

 Dioscorea. Thrown up in the woods of Golungo Alto by the river 

 Quiporo. July 1856. 1012. 



CAZENfio. — Openings of woods near the sweet springs, almost 

 destroyed by cattle. Jan. 1855. No. 4033. 



Loan DA. — Leaves only. No. 4031. 



Bengo. — A lofty climbing herb with edible tubers and bulbils in the 

 leaf-axils. Woods on the river Bengo near S. Antonio. Without fl. 

 Jan. 1854. No. 4032. 



