THE FLORA OF SINGAPORE. 167 



beneath 2-| feet long- and 5 inches wide with a petiole one 

 foot long. Spikes 2 inches long-, bracts stiff oblong obtuse 

 green, wilh the points recurved, something like the spike 

 of a curcuma. Flowers ocre yellow J inches across. 

 Sepals lanceolate acute petals shorter and blunter. Fruit 

 with beak one inch greenish white. Seeds few black 

 about half as big" as those of C. latifolia Dry. Not rare, 

 in long- grass and secondary growth. Bukit Timah, 

 Tanglin, Chua Chu Kang. 



Crinnm asiaticum L. " Bakung. " The common white sea shore 

 Crihum. C.pedunculatum Br. is said to differ in the long- 

 pedicelled flowers and elongate root stock. I have only 

 seen one species in Singapore and Penang, and that has 

 long pedicelled flowers and no root stock. The flowers 

 . open about 6 p. m. and are sweet scented, and very at- 

 tractive to hawk moths. Sea coasts, Kranji, Selitar, Pulau 

 .- Ubin. 



Eurycles syJvestris Salisb. Is probably native here. It occurs 

 in the sea sand at Changi, Bajau, etc., and is often culti- 

 vated. 



Taccace^. 



Tacca cris'ata Jack. Common in woods, Bukit Timah, etc. 



DlOSCOREAOEiE. 



Dioscorea (Icrmona Roxb. " Gadung." A fairly large climber 

 with prickly glaucous stems. The tubers sliced and 

 washed in running water are eaten, but unless so washed 

 are stated to be poisonous. Common in villages ; I have 

 never seen it elsewhere. 



D. pyrifolia Kunth. Common, Bukit Timah, Chan Chu Kang, 

 Bukit Mandai, Sungei Pandan. 



D. opporitifolia L. Garden jungle, Selitar, Bukit Mandai Road. 



D. fawrt/b/ta; Wall.. Woods and edges of jungles, common, 

 Tanglin, Sungei Morai, Bukit Timah, Changi. 



