CLiii. TACOACE^. (J. D. Hooker.) 287 



brown or lurid ; involucre of 2-6 spathes ; bracts very long, filiform, like 

 pedicels. Perianth superior, urceolate or suboampanulate, G-lobed in 2 

 series. Stamens 6, at the base of the lobes, filaments very short, base 

 dilated or appendaged on each side, above it dilated into an inflexed hood, 

 with 2-ribs or horns on the inner surface ; anthers sessile within the hood. 

 Ovary 1-celled ; style short, included, stigmas 3 broad or petaloid and re- 

 flexed like an umbrella over the style ; ovules many, on 3 parietal placentas, 

 anatropous or subamphitropous. Fruit indehiscent baccate or at length 

 3-valved, 3-6-ribbed. Seeds numerous, ovoid, testa appressed striate ; 

 albumen hard ; embryo minute. — Species about 10, tropical. 



1. TACCA,, Forst. 

 Chabactejel op the Order. 



1. T. pinnatifida, Forst. Plant. Esculent. No. 28 ; Char. Gen. 69, 

 t. 35 ; leaves tripartite segments 2-3-fld or irregularly pinnatifid or pin- 

 nate at the base, petiole and scape long smooth, invol. leaves 4-12 or more 

 subequal oblong acuminate, perianth lobes conniving subequal. Itoxb. Fl. 

 Ind.ii. 172; Grah. Gat. Bomb. PZ. 230; Balz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 276; 

 Benth. Fl. Austral, vi. 4£8 ; Miguel Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 566 ; Kunth Fnum. 

 V, 458 ; Lodd. Bot. Cat. t. 692. Eegel Ga/rtenfl. t. 582 ; I.amh. Encycl. 

 t. 232; Trevi/ran. Symbol, t. 54, 55; Griff. Notul. 238; Ic. PI. As. t. 272A. 

 T. pinnatifolia, Gsertn. Fruet. i. 43 t. 14. 



The CoNCAMS, and Centbal India; Hazarebagh, Vieary; Chota Nagpore, 

 Clan'ke. Malayan Peninsula ; Malacca and Ceylon, Trinoomalee. — Disteie. 

 Australia, Malayan and Pacific Islds. 



Rootsiock globose, 1 ft. diam. under cultivation. Lea/ees 2-3 ft. diam. ; petiole 

 1-3 ft. Scape tapering, longer than the petiole, striped dark and light green, 

 10_40.fld. ; flowers drooping ; invol. leaves lanceolate, recurved, striped with purple ; 

 filiform bracts very numerous. Perianth greenish, subglobose, f in. diam., fleshy, 

 lobes margined with purple. Fruit size of a pigeon's egg, 6-ribbed, yellow. 



2. T. cristata, Jack, in Mai. Misc. I. No. v. 23 ; leaves either oblong 

 or elliptic-lanceolate, petiole and tall scape smooth, 2 inner involucral 

 spathes very large foliaceous erect with stout flat petioles, 2 outer 

 much smaller sessile ovate acuminate ouneate, flowers dark purple, 

 perianth-lobes spreading and recurved, 3 inner much the largest, orbicular. 

 Miquel Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 578. T. Eafflesiana, Jack, in Wall. Cat. 5172. 

 Atacca cristata, Kunth Fnum. v. 466 ; Bot. Mag. t.-4S8f: Lemaire Jard. 

 Fleur. t. 186, 187. Flore des Serves, t. 860, 861. 



Malay Peninsula; Malacca, Penang and Singapore. 



Rootstocle conic. Leaves 1-2 ft., dark greenish-purple ; petiole very stout, brown- 

 purple. Scape as long as the leaves, stout, dirty green, grooved j outer invol. 

 spathes 3-4 in., revolute, brown-purple, inner 6 in., elliptic, obtuse, strongly 

 plicately nerved, green, narrowed into a very stout compressed brown-purple 

 petiole; flowers drooping, pedicels stout filiform; bracts 6-8 va., pendulous, 

 pale. Ferianth li in. diam. ; outer lobes oblong, acute, inner rounded broader than 

 long, all at length reflexed ; throat with a thickened orenate ring. Ovary turbinate, 

 6-ribbed. SUgmatic lobes ciliate. 



3. t.inXesrifoaa,. Ker.-Ga/wl. in Bot. Mag. t. 1488; leaves entire 

 elliptic-ovate, petiole and short stout scape rough, 2 inner invol. leaves 

 very large, spreading foliaceous petioles slender, 2 outer smaller sessQe 

 ovate acuminate, flowers pale, perianth lobes spreading and reflexed, 3 



