240 STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 



D. deltoidea Wall. 



East Indies. This species occurs both wild and cultivated in the Indian Archipelago;* 

 its roots are eaten. 



D. divaricata Blanco. Chinese potato. Chinese yam. cinnamon vine. yam. 



Philippine Islands, China and everywhere cultivated in several varieties. This yam 

 was received in France in 1851 from Shanghai, and was introduced into the United States, 

 in 1855, by the Patent Office Department. It has not fulfilled expectation in the United 

 States and is now grown principally as an ornamental climber. It was observed in Japan ' 

 by Thunberg.' 



D. fasciculata Roxb. yam. 



Tropical eastern Asia. This species is cultivated largely about Calcutta, and a starch 

 is made from its tubers.' Firminger says this is a very distinct kind of yam, the tubers 

 about the size, form and color of large kidney potatoes; when well cooked, it has a greater 

 resemblance in mealiness, and flavor to the potato than any other yam he knows of. It 

 is much cultivated in the Philippines by the natives and is much esteemed.' 



D. globosa Roxb. yam. 



East Indies. This species is much cultivated in India as yielding the best kind of 

 yam and is much esteemed both by Europeans and natives.' Roxburgh ' says it is the 

 most esteemed yam in Bengal, but Firminger * thinks it not equal in quality to other 

 varieties. In Burma, Mason ' says it is the best of the white-rooted kinds. 

 D. hastifolia Nees. yam. 



Australia. The tubers are largely consumed by the aborigines for food, and this 

 is the only plant on which they bestow any kind of cultivation. 1 



D. japonica Thunb. 



Japan. The roots, cut into slices and boiled, have a very pleasant taste." 

 D. ntunmularia Lam. tivolo yam. 



Moluccas. This yam has cylindrical roots as thick as an arm and of excellent 

 quality.'* 



D. oppositifolia Linn. yam. 



East Indies. This is one of the edible yams." 



' De CandoUe, A. Geog. Bol. 2:821. 1855. 



' Thunberg, C. P. Fl. Jap. 150. 1784. 



Drury, H. Useful Pis. Ind. 183. 1873. 



* Firminger, T. A. C. Card. Ind. 122. 1874. 



> Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 865. 1879. (D. tugui) 



Drury, H. Useful Pis. Ind. 183. 1873. 



'Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 15^. 1891. 



' Firminger, T. A. C. Card. Ind. 121. 1874. 



Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 862. 1879. 

 "Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 154. 1891. 

 " Thunberg, C. P. Trav. y. 84. 1796. 

 " Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 155. 1891. 

 " Ibid. 



