Tacca .] 
CXLIV. TACCACE^E. 
309 
Order CXLIV. TACCACE7E. 
Herbs, stem very short, rhizomatous. Leaves herbaceous 
entire lobed or pinnatifid. Scape tall, leafless. Flowers umbelled 
green or purple with 2 to 6 large involucral bracts and long 
filiform floral bracts. Perianth superior urceolate or campanulate 
of 6 lanceolate or ovate lobes. Stamens 6, adnate to tube; fila¬ 
ments very short; connective hooded; anthers very small. Ovary 
i-celled; style short; stigmas 3 broad, reflexed. Fruit baccate 
or 3-valved. Seeds numerous ovoid ribbed. Genera 2. Species 
25, tropical and sub-tropical Asia, and America. 
1. TACCA, Forst. 
Character of the order, fruit baccate, not dehiscing. Species 
about 10, tropical Asia and Australia. 
Leaves pinnatifid. (i) T. pinnatifida 
Leaves palmate.{2) T. palmata 
Leaves entire lanceolate. 
Involucral bracts 2 inner large ovate clawed 
purple and white.(3) T. cristata 
Involucral bracts 2 inner large ovate sessile 
purple.(4) T. Chantieri 
Involucral bracts 2 inner small lanceolate green . (5) T. minor 
(1) T. pinnatifida Forst. Plant. Escul. 28; Char. Gen. t. 35. 
Lodd. ; Bot. Cab. t. 692 ; Regel Gartenflora, t. 582 ; Griff. Notulcz, 
238 ; Ic. PL As. t. 272A; Hook. fit. F.B.I. vi. 287 ; Ridl. Mat. ii. 76. 
Tuber large globose. Leaf solitary, 1 to 3 ft. tall; petiole 
fluted, blade 2 to 3 ft. across, tripartite or pinnatifid. Flowers 
numerous green on a scape 2 to 3 ft. tall. Involucral bracts 8, 
lanceolate acute, 2 in. long, -5 in. wide. Floral bracts 6 in. long. 
Perianth *5 in. long, green, lobes lanceolate. Fruit ovoid ribbed 
as big as a pigeon’s egg. Hob. Sandy places, usually near the sea, 
not very common. Pahang near Pekan ; Cherating River. Malacca, 
pulau Besar, Tringganu, Pulau Redang (Yapp). Lankawi at 
Kwah. Distrib. Tropical Asia, Polynesia, Australia and Africa. 
Native name : Lukeh. Use : Tubers eaten. 
(2) T. palmata Bl. Enum. i. 83; Ridl. Mat. ii. 76. 
Tuber small. Leaves palmate, lobes 4 to 7, oblong lanceolate 
acute, 6 in. long, 1 to 3 in. wide; petioles slender, 1 ft. long. Scape 
1 ft. tall or more. Involucral bracts 2 outer ovate acute, 75 
in. wide, 2 inner ovate petiolate, 175 in. long. Floral bracts o. 
Flowers 10 or more small green. Perianth tube campanulate, -12 in. 
long, lobes orbicular. Fruit globose, -25 in. long. Hob. In damp 
shady spots, rare. Johor, woods at Genuang and on Pulau Aor. 
Tringganu, Redang islands, Pulau Pinang JYapp). Distrib. Malay 
islands, Borneo, Java. 
