Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org
Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org
Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
TAB. 6474.<br />
ARJSJEMA UTILE.<br />
Native of the Sikkim Himalaya.<br />
Nat. Ord. ABOIDEJE.•Tribe ABISABE.E.<br />
Genus ABIS^MA, Mart.; [Schott. Prodr. Syst. Aroid. p. 24.)<br />
AEISJ;MA (Trisecta) utile; dioicum, foliis 2-nis 3-folioIatis, petiolo robusto viridi,<br />
foliolis subsessilibus v. breviter crasse petiolulatis patentibus lateralibus late<br />
ovatis v. triangulari-ovatis terminali transverso late oblongo, omnibus cuspidatis<br />
marginibus flavidis creberrime undulatis, nervis purpuraseentibus subtus<br />
prominulis, pedúnculo petiolo multo breviore viridi, spatha 5-6-pollicari, tubo<br />
cylindraceo brunneo multi-costato costis virescentibus, lamina decurva ampia<br />
8•4-poll. lata brunnea cruciatim crasse venosa venís virescentibus ápice rotun-<br />
daSi v. emarginata v. 2-loba medio cuspidata, spadicis masculi parte florífera<br />
pallidepurpuráscente, antheris sparsis 4-locularibus longe stipitatis, parte steríli<br />
elongato cónico basi ampliato lobulato ápice in filum longissitnum filiforme<br />
purpureum desinente, spadicis fceminei parte florifera cónica ovarüs ovoideis<br />
dense operta, stj'Iis crassis.<br />
A. utile, MooTc.f. mss. Schott, Prodr. Syst. Aroid. 30 ; Engler in A. DC. Monogr.<br />
Phanerog. vol. ii. p. 537.<br />
Under A. nepenthoides (tab. 6446) I stated that several<br />
other Himalayan species of this genus remained to be pub-<br />
lished from figures made from specimens introduced into<br />
cultivation by Messrs. Elwes, Gammi, King, &c, and that<br />
amongst them was the A. utile. This, on account of its<br />
being the most common of those of which the tubers are<br />
collected for food by the hill tribes of •Sikkim, is the most<br />
interesting species of the genus, though it falls short in<br />
stature of the A. Hookei'ianum, a figure of which will shortly<br />
appear in this work. A. utile is the plant specially alluded<br />
to in the following extract from the " Himalayan Journals,"<br />
vol. ii. p. 49 :•" My tent was pitched on a broad terrace,<br />
opposite the junction of the Zemu and Thlonok, and 10,850<br />
feet above the sea. It was sheltered by some enormous<br />
transported blocks of gneiss, fifteen feet high, and sur-<br />
rounded by a luxuriant vegetation of most beautiful rhodo-<br />
dendrons in full flower, willow, white rose, white-flowered<br />
cherry, thorn, maple, and birch. Some great tuberous-<br />
rooted Arums were very abundant; and the ground was<br />
covered with small pits, in which were large wooden pestles :<br />
these are used in the preparation of food from the Arums,<br />
to which the miserable inhabitants of the valley have re-<br />
course in spring when their yaks are calving. • The roots<br />
FEBBUAEY 1ST, 1880.
Change language