SMILACEiE GILLIESIACE/E DIOSCOREACE^. 65 I 



multiflora. L. ; — E. B. 4, t. 279.) % Europe. Mussooree. — P. cirrhi. 

 folium, (Convallaria cirrhifolia. Wall. Cat.) ^. Nepal. — P. punctatum, 

 (Convallaria punctata, Wall. Cat.) % Nepal, — Smilax zeylanica, L. 

 B w Ceylon. — ^'. Villandia, Hb. Buch. ; Royle t. 94, f. 2. B 

 ^^ Morung. — S. dentata, Humb. Cuba. — S. papyracea, Duhara. Ca- 

 yenne. — S. longifolia. Rich. Cayenne. — S. oblongata, Swz. W. Indies. 

 — 5. lappacea, Humb. Caracas — .S'. acuminata, Willd. W. Indies. — 

 «S. syphilitica, Humb. S. America. — S. havanensis, Jacq. Havannah. — 



5. cumanensis, Humb. Jamaica S. elliptica, R. Br. Tropical New 



Holland. — S. latifolia, R. Br. Tropical New Holland. — Liriope inter- 

 media, Lindl, ; (Ophiopogon intermedins, D. Don. ; Royle. ill. t. 96, 

 f. I.) %. Nepal. — Tela humilis, ( Peliosanthes humilis, Andr. ; B. 

 M. 37, t, 1532.) % Penang. 



ORDER CCXLI.— GILLIESIACE^, Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 348. 



Small herbaceous plants, of 2 genera, containing but a few species, 

 natives of Chile, " Properties unknown." {Lindl.) 



* Oilliesia graminea, Lindl.; B. Reg. 12, t. 992; B, M. 54, t. 1716. 

 %, Valparaiso. 



ORDER CCXLII.— DIOSCOREACE^, Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 359. 



THE YAM TRIBE. 



Twining shrubs, by Lindl. referred to 4 genera. Of these, Spreng. syst. 

 enumerates 28 species for S, America, and the W. Indies, (Rajania and 

 Dioscorea) ; 5 for Japan, (Rajania and Dioscorea) ; 4 for New Holland, 

 (Dioscorea) ; 2 for N. America, (Dioscorea) ; and 2 for Europe and Middle 

 Asia. In S. Africa have been discovered 3 species of Testudinaria, {Har- 

 vey), and in the E. Indies about 30 of Dioscorea, but of these several will 

 undoubtedly be united on a rigid examination of authentic specimens. 



The Yams, so important an article of food in all tropical countries, con- 

 tain, before they are dressed, more or less acridity, which, however, gene- 

 rally evaporates by heat. This is particularly the case, observes Royle, 

 with those species, that have compound leaves. 

 Testudinaria, Salisb. {Lindl.; B. Reg. \\, t. 921; — Endl. gen. pi. «. 



158, under Dioscorea. — Tamus, L. ; Spreng. syst. 3, p. 894, No. 



3187.) 

 \. Elephantopus, Burch. {Trav. 2, p. 147; — o^ B. Reg. I. c. — Tamus 



Ehphantopus, L'Herit. ; Spreng. syst. 3, p. 905 ; — 9 B. M. 33, t. 



1347. — Dioscorea Elephantopus, Spreng. c. p. p. 143.) % C. G. H. 



