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FAMINE FOODS. 



DIOSCOREA PENTAPEYLLA. 

 AN IMPORTANT EDIBLE WILD YAM OF THE THANA 

 DISTKICT, BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 

 By G. M. Ryan, i, f. s., p. l. s. 



It was in 1897 that I was struck with the great importance, as articles of 

 food, which the various wild tubers of the Thana forests were to the forest 

 tribes. That year happened to be one in which the district was stricken with 

 famine to some extent, and probably the wild tribes indented more largely 

 than usual on the various yams in consequence, but nnce then it has come to 

 my knowledge by coming constantly in contact— as a Forest Officer in Thana 

 perforce must— with these poor creatures, that re any of the wild yams form 

 the main standby of the forest tribes in ordinary seasons, anH that but for the 

 presence of the various tubers in the forests the majority of the wild tribes 

 would probably cease to exist. Finding that no chemical analysis existed of 

 the various yams, I was induced to send one (tuber of Dioscorea bulUfera) to 

 Calcutta, for such analysis, and through the courtesy of Dr. Prain the analysis 

 was carried out by Mr. Hooper. It showed that the nutrient ratio of the yam 

 was about equal to that of the potato. Other tubers were sent from time to 

 time subsequently for analysis, but owing to pressure of work apparently no 

 analysis could then be made. 



Recently, however, through the courtesy of Mr. Burkill, Reporter on Econo- 

 mic Products to the Government of India, an analysis was carried out of 

 another important wild yam, and as its nutrient ratio is even greater than 

 that of Dioscorea lulUfera, it occurs to me that perhaps a short note on the 

 plant is worthy of record and may not prove uninteresting. 



The tubers of this plant, known among the wild tribes as " Londi," are one 

 of the most important yams of the Thana District. The plant has a climbing 

 habit and is found growing usually at the base of trees and shrubs. It 

 possesses a slender twining stem covered near the base with irregularly dis- 

 tributed prickles, with the aid of which it climbs its host. 



The flowers which appear in the monsoon (usually August) are yellowish 

 green and are small and inconspicuous, but flowering does not take place 

 annually in the case of artificially planted tubers. 



The description given in the Flora of British India of the plant is as 



follows : — 



" Leaves obovate, acuminate or cuspidate, Malepanicles and flowers glabrous 

 hispidly pubescent or villous, spikes lax or dense-fid ; flowers sessile or pedicelled 



1 i_in_ diameter, fragrant ; filaments and staminodes very short. 



Capsule I — 1 in. rounded at both ends or base cordate and tip apiculate 



wlabrous or pubescent. Seeds — I — ^ in., wing broader than the nucleus," 



Distribution. 

 In the Flora of British India it is said the plant is found " throughout 

 tropical India from Knmaon in the N.-W . Himalaya, eastward to Burmah, 



