DIOSCOREAGE^-YAM FAMILY 



CINNAMON VINE 



Dioscorea diva icata. 



Named for Dioscorides, a Greek writer on plants. 



A perennial twining plant, with large farinaceous roots, bearing shin- 

 ing opposite leaves; cultivated as a cover vine. China, Japan, Philip- 

 pines. August. 



Stem. — Twining, making ten to thirty feet in a summer. 



Leaves. — Opposite, smooth, shining, cordate or halbert-shaped, 

 often bearing little bulb- 

 lets in the axils. 



Flowers. — Dioecious, 

 white, small, in small 

 racemose panicles in the 

 axils of the leaves. 



Perianth. —Six-parted . 



Stamens. — Six; ovary 



three-celled; styles three. 



Fruit.— A three-winged 



capsule; seeds winged. Cinnamon Vine. Dioscorea divaricila 



The Cinnamon Vine obtains its name from the fragrance of its 

 flowers, which appear on well-established plants in August. The 

 vine is really a variety of the yam, or Chinese potato, and although 

 Asiatic, is fairly hardy in our climate. The large roots or yams 

 are not produced until the second year of plants grown from 

 bulblets. 



The stems are quick-growing, and although the leaves are very 

 pretty the internodes are so long that the foliage effect is scanty, 

 which detracts from its value as a cover vine. In the axils of the 

 leaves are little bulblets the size of peas, which will grow if planted. 



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