3i4 
CXLV. DIOSCOREACE-iE. 
[Dioscorea. 
Stem winged; perianth not tubular; leaves orbi¬ 
cular cordate . . . . . (16) D. alata 
Perianth tubular, long; leaves oblong stiffly 
coriaceous. (17) D. stenomeriflora 
Dubious species, stem strongly thorny; leaves 
large ovate cordate . . , . (18) D. piscatorum 
(1) D. triphylla Linn. Amoen. Acad. iv. 131. D. daemona, 
Roxb. Hort. Beng. 72; FI. Ind. iii. 305; Ridl. Mat. ii. 80, var. 
reticulata Rmin and Burkill, l.c. 25. 
Tubers large. Stem spiny glaucous. Leaves trifoliate; leaflets 
thin ovate cuspidate reticulate, side ones imequilateral; nerves 
hairy, 3 to 6 in. long, 2 to 4 in. wide; petioles 3 to 6 in. long. Male 
panicles lax, 4 to 6 in. long, tomentose. Flowers crowded, very 
small, greenish yellow. Perianth tomentose. Stamens 6. Female 
spikes solitary. Capsule oblong with 3 stout ridges 2 in. long, 
*75 in. wide, tomentose. Seeds 1 in. long, oblong. Hah. Common 
in villages. Singapore, Changi. Malacca, Sungei Hudang; 
Malaka pindah, etc. Selangor, Kwala Lumpur. Perak, Thaiping. 
Penang, Muka Head (Curtis). Distrib. Burma, Siam, Malaya. 
Native names: Gadung; Ubi Akar. Use: Tubers eaten after 
being sliced and left for some time in running water. An extract 
is used by the Sakais for poisoning darts. 
(2) D. tamarisciflora Brain, and Burkill, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 
x. 22. 
Stem slender hairy. Leaves alternate trifoliate, above sparsely 
hairy, beneath nerves red-hairy; midlobe narrow elliptic long-acu¬ 
minate, 2 to 4 in. long, 1 in. wide, laterals inequilateral, base acute; 
petioles -i in. long. Male spikes 15 in. long. Flowers 45, in 
solitary or paired spikes; rachis hairy. Sepals lanceolate-ovate 
hairy. Petals spathulate. Stamens 3. Hab. Lankawi (Curtis). 
(3) D. Scortechinii Brain, and Burkill, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 
iv. 455. D. pentaphylla Ridl. Mat. ii. 80 mostly. 
Stems stoutly thorny. Leaves 3- to 5-foliate; leaflets unequal 
cuspidate elliptic red tomentose on the nerves beneath, 2 in. long 
and as wide; petioles 1-5 to 2 in. long, brown, tomentose; petiolules 
•2 in long. Male panicles 2 ft. long, with long tomentose branches. 
Flowers sessile crowded, white. Sepals lanceolate acute pubescent. 
Stamens 3 with 3 staminodes. Female spikes solitary or panicled, 
6 to 8 in. long. Capsule oblong round at both ends or base cordate, 
2 in. long, 1 in. wide. Hab. Forests. Johor, Gunong Pantai. 
Malacca, Merlimau. Pahang, Tahan Valley. Selangor, Bukit 
Kutu. Negri Sembilan. Tampin (Burkill). Perak, Thaiping Hills 
at 3000 ft. altitude (Burkill). Kemaman (Vaughan Stevens). 
Distrib. Cambodia. Native name: Ubi pasir. Use: The tubers 
are a valued food by the Sakais. 
(4) D. pentaphylla Linn. Spec. Bl. 1032. var. malaica Brain 
and Burkill l.c. x. 23. 
Stems sparsely thorny. Leaves 3- or 5-lobed, leaflets red pubes- 
