13 



N. Ord. MENISPERMACE.E. 

 Tribe Heterocliniea. 



Genus Jateorhiza,* Miers. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 34; Baill., 

 Hist. Ph, iii, p. 37 (Chasmanthera) ; Miers, Contrib., iii, 

 p. 26. Species 2 or 3, natives of tropical Africa. 



13. Jateorhiza Calumba,f Miers, in Hooh FL Nigrit., p. 214, 



note (1849). 



Calumba. Golumbo. 



Syn. Menispermum palmatum, Lam. Menispermum Columba, Roxb. 

 Cocculus palmatus, DC. Jateorhiza palmata, Miers. Jateorhiza, 

 Miersii, Oliver. Chasmanthera Columba, Baill: 



Figures. Berry, in Asiatic Researches, x, t. 5, cop. in Hayne, ix, t. 48, 

 and in Nees, t. 364 ; Bot. Mag., t. 2970, 2971, cop. in Steph. & Ch., 

 t. 160 (/. palmata}, and in Woodv., v, 5; Miers, Contrib., iii, t. 90; 

 Baill., 1. c., figs. 16, 17. 



Description. A perennial herb, with, a short, rounded, irregular 

 rhizome, giving off numerous fleshy, swollen, fusiform, cylindrical 

 roots 1 4 inches in diameter, tapering into fibres below, covered 

 with a thin, dull-brown, nearly smooth skin, the surface of the 

 flesh bright yellow, paler yellow within. Stems several, herba- 

 ceous, not more than \ inch thick, twining and climbing widely, 

 and reaching the summits of trees, slightly branched, green, 

 rather thickly covered with stiff, spreading, gland- tipped hairs. 

 Leaves alternate, at long intervals, on very long petioles, large, 

 the blade reaching 14 inches wide by 10 inches long in large 

 specimens, nearly orbicular, strongly cordate at the base, pal- 

 mately lobed, the lower with 7 5 acute, entire lobes, the upper 

 3-lobed, dark green and slightly rough above, paler with promi- 

 nent veins below, which as well as the margins are strongly 

 hispid, thin and semi-membranaceous. Flowers dioecious, about 



* Name from um/ptoc,- healing, and piZ,a, a root, from its medicinal virtues. 



f The name is here spelt Columba, as also by Roxburgh ; but in his subse- 

 quent papers Miers spells it as above. It is derived from the native African 

 name for the root, Kalumb. 



