170 EXGLISn BOTANT. 



trigonous; style single, 3-cleft at the apex, the segments recurved; 

 stigmas bilobccl. Fruit a berry, 1-celled by the three dissepiments 

 partially disappearing. Seeds 2 or 3 in each of the 3 imperfect cells, 

 or sometimes by abortion only 1 in each, subglobose. 



A twining herb with pear-shaped tubers, with the large end down- 

 wards, and twining stems bearing alternate stalked ovate-cordate acu- 

 minate leaves with reticulate venation. Flowers minute, in axillary 

 racemes or spikes, much shorter in the female plant than in the male. 

 BeiTies red, juicy, with a thin skin. 



Tlie name of tliis genus is a modification of the Latin name for the wild vine as 

 given by Pliny, tamnus. 



SPEOI KS I.-T AMUS COMMUNIS. Linn. 

 Plate MDVIII. 

 Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. X. Tab. CCCCXXXIX 



The only known species. 



In hedges, bushy places, and open woods. Common in the south 

 of England, more rare in the north, and not extending to Scotland or 

 Ireland. 



England. Perennial. Summer. 



Eootstock a roundish-ovoid tuber, attenuated towards the top, 

 flowering when about the size of a peach, with a fuscous-brown skin 

 clothed with radical fibres and a white coat, deeply buried in the earth 

 — at least this is my experience of it; but Dr. Bromfield, who is most 

 accurate in his descriptions, says it is "very large and thick, consisting 

 of an aggregate of irregular fusiform or digitate tubers" (Fl. Vcct. 

 p. 506). Stems wiry, herbaceous, angular, twining, often attaining a 

 length of 5 or 6 feet or more. Leaves alternate, stalked, ovate or 

 roundish-ovate, acuminate, deeply cordate, acute and usually produced 

 into a long slender point, 5- or 7-ribbed, the ribs connected by 

 numerous anastomosing veins. Stipules minute, reflexed. Flowers 

 dicEcious ; the male flowers I inch across, in small clusters arranged 

 in axillary and terminal stalked erect long slender many-flowered 

 racemes ; the female flowers in axillary subsessile recurved short few- 

 flowered racemes. Bracts minute, subulate, scarious. Perianth of 

 the male flowers greenish, deeply divided into six narrowly oblong 

 sliglitly recurved segments. Female flowers with the ovary adnate 

 to the tube of the perianth; the limb resembling the male flower, 

 but smaller. In the male flowers there is a rudimentary pistil, and 

 in the female six abortive stamens. Berries about the size of sloes, 

 ovoid, tapering at each end, pale scarlet red, very juicy, with a smooth 

 thin skin. Seeds 1 to 3 in each cell, subglobular, rugose, pale yellow, 



