Ordeb 146.— SMUiACBiffi. 70I 



am«ra 7, tptciea 150.— The only remarkabls or nscfal product of this order Is Tarns, ui 

 hnpoTtant artfcte of fond In all tropical oountrica. They aro the large, mucilaginous, swectisk 

 tabors of Dioscorea sativo, Jsc. 



8. DIOSCO^REA, L. Yam Root. (In honor of Pedacius Dioscorides, 

 a Greek physician and florist of about the reign of Nero.) Flowers i 

 9 ; styles of the fertile flowers 3 ; cells of the capsule 2-seeded ; seeds 

 membranaceously margined. — Slender, shrubby climbers, twining with 

 the sun. Lvs. simple and palmately veined or palmately divided. Fls. 

 green, inconspicuous, in axillary spikes or panicles. 



1 D. TriUdsa L. Wild Yam. Lvs. broad-ovate, cordate, acuminate, 9 — ll-veiii«fl, 

 the margin entire or wavy, lower surface downy or glabrous, never villous ; upper 

 surface glabrous; petioles elongated, the lowest somewhat verticillate in 48, tfeo 

 next subopposite, the middle and upper alternate ; i plant with the spilces pani- 

 culate, $ wijli the spilses simple. — A delicate twining vine, in thickets and 

 hedges, TJ. S. and Can., rare in N. Eng. Stem woolly, reddish-brown, 1 — 2" 

 diam., 5 — 10 — 15f long, running over bushes and fences. Leaves 2 — i' long, \ 

 as wide, distinctly cordate and acuminate. Petioles 2 — 4' long. Peduncles axil- 

 lary. Ovaries at first elliptic, finally almost as broad as long. June, July. (D. 

 quarternata Ph.) 



2 D. sativa L. Tam. .Lvs. alternate, roundish-ovate, long-cuspidate, sinu- 

 ate-cordate, glabrous, 9 to 13-nerved, outer nerves bifid, transverse veius simple ; 

 St. terete, smooth ; i spikes densely paniculate ; s spikes aggregate. Var. ACU- 

 LEATA, stems aculeate. — Native of B. India. This species, with its varieties, is 

 understood to be that which is known as the Sweet Yam, cultivated in Ga. and 

 Fla., and all tropical countries, on account of its sweet and nutritious tubers. \ 



Order CXLV. SMILACEiE. Sarsaparillas. 



Herbs or shrubs, often climbing. Leaves reticulate-veined. Flowers dioeciona 

 or mon(£cious. Perianth free from the ovary, 6-parted, regular. Stamens 6, in- 

 serted into the base of the segments. AntA. 1-celled (2-lameUate). Ovary 3-celled ; 

 cells 1 or many-seeded. Style 1 or none. Stigmas 3. Berry roundish, few or 

 many-seeded. Seeds orthotropous albuminous. Fig. 58C. 



Genera 2, species 120, thinly disseminated through most countries. The diuretic and emuU 

 cent sarsaparlUad are the ruuta of several, cbielly S. American species of Smiiax. 



SMrLAX, L. Grbkn Brier. Sarsaparilla. (Gr. ctju/At;, a grater ; 

 from its prickly stems.) Flowers $ $ , perianth deciduous, of 6 simi- 

 lar, spreading, sepaloid segments ; $ stamens 0, on the base of the seg- 

 mente and shorter than they ; anthers adnate ; ? stamen 0, or sterile 

 filaments ; stigmas 3, sessile ; berry globular, 1 to 3-celled, 1 to 6- 

 . seeded. — y Herbs or shrubs, mostly climbing by stipular tendrils, often 

 priekly. Lvs. entire, petiolate, palmately veined. Fls. green or yellow- 

 ish, in axillary, stalked umbels. (In the elaboration of this genus we 

 have been greatly aided by the accurate observations of Dr. Feay, of 

 Savannah.) 



§ CoPRosMANTnus. Ilerbaceoiis (unarmed). Leaves long-petioled. Flowers foatid. (*) 



* Leaves glabrous on both sides. Stems climbing _. Nos. 14, 15 



* Leaves downy or hispid on the veins beneath. Erect or climbing No.s. 12, 1^ 



§ SulLAX proper. Shrubby, armed or not. Leaves short-petioled, Seeds 1 to 8. (*) 



* Pubescent, prostrate, unarmed. Leaves cordate, evergreen. Soutb No. 1 1 



* Glabrous, climbing. Leaves acute at base. I'eduncie shorter than petiole Nos. 9, 10 



* Glabrous, climbing. Leaves abrupt or cordate at base, (a) 



a Leaves panduriforra or somewhat contacted in the middle .- Nos. 7, 8 



a Leaves ovate or oblong, decldnoua. (b) 



b Plants unarmed Noe. 6, C 



b plants prickly. — Leaves glaucous, especially benoatli No. 4 



—Leaves green on both 6ide|. Nos. 1—3 



1 S. rotnndifolia L. Common Green Beiee. St. terete or sub-i-sided, flex- 

 U011S, aculeate, ligneous, climbing ; fo«. short-petiolate, rouiidish-onate, 5 to l-veined. 



