N. O. RANUNCULACE/E. 29 



across, divisions broadly deltoid or the outer trapezoid up to 

 4 5 cm. broad, shortly 3-or (the outer) 2-lobed, lobes coarsely 

 crenate or dentate. Inflorescence tomentose, with spreading 

 hairs. Carpels quite glabrous. 



Properties and uses : — Evidently poisonous. 

 23. A. spicatum, Stapf., sp. nov. 

 Ann. Roy. Bot, Gard. Calc, Vol. X., pp. 165-166. 



Vernacular names : — BV*h, Kalo Bikhoma Donghi ; Quiong 

 Mot and Shodduk Mot. 



Habitat: — Alpine zone of the Himalaya of Sikkim and 

 Chumbi 



Roots biennial, paired, tuberous, daughter- tuber conic or 

 conic-oblong, often rather elongated, 10-20 cm. long, ] '8-3 cm. 

 thick, simple or sometimes deeply divided, with filiform root- 

 fibres, the bases of which are sometimes abruptly thickened 

 and persist as conical ovoid stumps, brown or blackish ex- 

 ternally, fracture horny, yellowish or brown in the dry state, 

 taste slightly sweetish bitter, followed by a tingling sensation ; 

 cambium continuous, forming in cross-section a more or less 

 sinuous ring; mother-tuber similar, shrunk and wrinkled. 

 Innovation-bud a very broad, much depressed cone, with broad 

 clasping scales, decaying soon after sprouting. Stem erect, 

 up to 1*5 m. high, straight or slightly flexnous above, simple 

 terete or sometimes slightly angular, robust, sometimes as 

 much as 3 cm. in diam., adpressedly greyish-pubescent, with 

 deflexed hairs, glabrescent or quite glabrous in the lower part, 

 brown or almost black when dry. Lowest leaves 5-8, decayed 

 at the time of flowering, their scars rather distant ; intermediate 

 and upper leaves as many as 12, approximate or congested, 

 petioled ; petioles 2'5-7"5 cm. long, dilated at the base, blades 

 somewhat fleshy, more or less finely pubescent, or at length 

 glabrous above orbicular-cordate or reniform or broadly ovate 

 (particularly the upper), with a usually shallow sinus, 3-partite 

 to |-y or the upper to f, intermediate division rhomboid or 

 ovate from a linear cuneate base, sometimes acuminate, 5-10 



