N. 0. dioscoreace^:. 1283 



Root-stock short, with many long cylindric tortuous roots 

 as thick as a swan's quill ; stem slender, unarmed, not tuberife- 

 rous, terete, pubescent or tomentose ; leaves opposite rarely 

 alternate 3-5 by l-3in., polymorphous, from lanceolate to oblong- 

 oval or orbicular, obtusely acuminate or rounded at both ends, 

 coriaceous, 3-5- veined, margins cartilaginous, sparsely hairy on 

 both surfaces, petiole J- Jin. ; male spikes i-f in., alternate or 

 whorled on a long filiform tomentose pendulous rhachis 4-10 in. 

 long ; flowers pale-greenish, crowded, sessile by a broad base, 

 nearly glabrous, about 23 to jsin. broad ; bract small, ovate, 

 acuminate, membranous; outer perianth-segment broadly ovate 

 or orbicular, concave, inner smaller, obovate ; stamens 6, filament 

 short, anther didymous; pistillode obscure ; flower female distant 

 on axillary, pendulous, tomentose spikes 6-8in. long, bracts 

 minute ; perianth-segments orbicular, glabrous or pubescent ; 

 staminodes 6, minute ; stigmas linear, 2- fid ; fruit orbicular or 

 broader than long, H-2Jin. diam., glabrous, top retuse or 

 almost 2-lobed, base cuneate, carpels *-ciraular ; seeds orbicular, 

 §-lJ in. diam., wing very broad all round. (Trimen). 



Uses : — The root, ground and heated, is applied to reduce 

 swellings ; it is also used in snake-bite and scorpion sting. 



1268. I), sativa, Linn., h.f.b.i., vi., 295. 



Vern. : — Ratalu (H.) ; Ato sang (Santali) ; China, gordikaun- 

 phal (Bomb.) ; Gorkand, goradu (Mar.) ; Zamskollung (Guz.) ; 

 Heggenasu (Kan.). 



Habitat : — Cultivated over the greater part of India. 



An extensively climbing herb. Root-tubers very large, 

 globose or elongate ; stem terete, unarmed, glabrous, tuberi- 

 ferous in the leaf-axils. Leaves opposite and alternate, 

 3-14in. long and broad, broadly ovate, cordate, sometimes 

 broader than long, acuminate, cuspidate or caudate, 7-9- 

 veined, glabrous, membranous ; basal sinus broad, deep or 

 shallow; petiole 2-6in. Male-spikes l-4in., filiform, crowded or 

 scattered on the branches of crowded axillary, slender, 

 pendulous, glabrous spikes or panicles up to 12in. long, green 

 or purplish. Flowers yellowish-white, solitary, sessile by a 



