ASCLEPIADE/E. XLII. Porvorvs. 
and sometimes by seeds. Rare or scarce species should always 
be grown in peat soil, and have a little protection during severe 
frost by mulching the roots. The greenhouse and stove species 
require the same treatment as other common stove and green- 
house plants. 
XLII. POLYO'TUS (from zodve, polys, many, and ove wroc, 
ous otos, an ear; leaflets of corona auriculate at the base). 
Nutt. in amer. phil. soc. trans. vol. 5. new ser. p. 199.—Ace- 
rates, Elliott.— Asclépias species of authors. 
Lin, syst. Pentándria, Digiynia. Corolla rotate, 5-parted, 
reflexed. Corona simple, 5-parted ; segments ovate, concave, 
without any horn-formed process inside, auriculate at the base. 
Anthers terminated by a membrane ; pollen masses compressed, 
pendulous, fixed by their tapering apices. Stigma depressed, 
mutic. Follicles smooth or villous. Seeds comose.—Erect 
herbs. Leaves scattered, or nearly opposite. Umbels inter- 
petiolar or terminal. 
1 P. wereropny LLUS (Nutt. l. c.) erect, villous; leaves op- 
posite, oblong-ovate, generally acute; umbels globose, inter- 
petiolar; corona nearly equal to the gynostegium in height. 
u. H. Native of Pennsylvania and Virginia, in dry fields, 
ex Pursh ; and of the Arkansas territory, from Fort Smith to 
Red River. Asclépias viridiflora, Pursh, fl. 1. p. 181. Gom- 
phocárpus viridiflórus, Spreng. syst. 1. p. 849. — Ascl. lanceo- 
lata, Juss. Corolla greenish, with yellowish green corona. 
Umbels nearly sessile. 
Var. B, lanceolata; leaves from oval to ovate-lanceolate, 
flat or undulated, downy or smooth. 2/. H. Found at New 
Haven. Corolla greenish, with a brownish corona. 
Variable-leaved Polyotus. Fl. June, July. Pl. 2 to 3 feet? 
2 P. rawvGINOsus (Nutt. l. c. p. 200.) decumbent, hairy; 
leaves ovate, scattered ; umbels generally solitary, terminal. 
2L. H. Native of the Arkansas territory, below the confluence 
of the White river with the Missouri. Asclépias lanuginósus, 
Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 168.  Asclépias Nuttalliàna, Torrey. in 
ann. lyc. new york, 2. p. 217. Root tuberous. Stem 4-6 
inches high. Flowers greenish. A doubtful species, which 
requires to be examined in a living state. 
Woolly Polyotus. Pl. 1 foot, decumbent. 
3 P. rowerróris (Nutt. l. c.) puberulous; stems erectish ; 
leaves scattered, long-linear, acute; umbels interpetiolar, pe- 
dunculate ; corona stipitate, shorter than the gynostegium; 
follicles villous. 2. H. Native from Illinois and Missouri to 
Red river, on the margins of ponds; and in places overflowed 
by rain in winter. It is also to be found in swamps near the 
Atlantic sea coast; from Sussex county and Delaware to 
Georgia.  Asclépias longifólia, Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. 
t. 116. Acerates longifólia, Ell. sketch. bot. p. 317. As- 
clépias incarnàta, Walt. fl. car. p. 106. — Ascl. floridàna, Lam. 
dict. 1. p. 284. A. paupércula, Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 167. 
Gomphocárpus longifolium, Spreng. syst. 1. p. 849. Umbels 
loose, nearly globose. Leaves 6 inches long, and 4 an inch 
broad, downy beneath. Flowers small, greenish ; petals tipped 
with obscure purple. Segments of corona oblong, concave, 
with a purplish line near the base. Fructification yellow. 
Long-leaved Polyotus. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1816. Pl. 2 to 3 ft. 
4 P. ANcusmIFOLIUS (Nutt. l. c. p. 201.) stems erect; leaves 
linear, nearly opposite; umbels interpetiolar, nearly sessile ; 
corona rather longer than the gynostegium, sessile; leaflets of 
corona tridentate at the apex. %. H. Native of the Arkansas 
territory, in dry prairies, from Fort Smith to the Red River. 
Stems naked at bottom. Leaves somewhat revolute and scabrous 
on the edges, acute. Umbels 3-4-8-flowered. Flowers greenish, 
with a mixture of white. Leaflets of corona concave and auri- 
culate below: having the central tooth of each small. This 
XLIII. Enstenta. XLIV. Gowruocanrvs. 143 
species is nearly allied to Gomphocárpus and Asclépias, par- 
ticularly to Zscl. cinerea. 
Narrow-leaved Polyotus. ` Pl. 14 foot. 
5 P. osova' rus (Nutt. l. c.) leaves obovate, mucronate, to- 
mentose beneath; umbels almost sessile; corona twice as long 
as the gynostegium. 2%. H. Native of Georgia. Asclépias 
obovata, Ell. sketch. p. 321. Flowers greenish. 
Obovate-leaved Polyotus. Pl. 
Cult. For culture and propagation see Asclépias, above. 
XLIII. ENSLE' NIA (so named after Aloysius Enslen, an as- 
siduous and practical botanist, patronized in his researches in the 
United States by Prince Lichtenstein). Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 
164. and in amer. phil. soc. trans. 5. p. 203. 
Lin. syst. — Pentándria, Digynia. Corolla 5-parted, erect. 
Corona simple, 5-parted, petaloid, flat, truncate: the segments 
ending in a bifid thread. Stigma conical, sub-bilamellate. The 
rest as in Asclépias.—A twining herb. Leaves opposite. 
Flowers umbellate. 
1 E. A'rsrpa (Nutt. gen. amer. l. c. amer. phil. soc. trans. 
lc). 2t1.^. H. Native near Fort Smith, and other places 
along the banks of the Arkansas; found also on the banks of 
the Potomac, Scioto and Ohio, &c. 
Whitish-flowered Enslenia. Pl. tw. 
Cult. For culture and propagation see Asclépias, above. 
XLIV. GOMPHOCA'RPUS (from youpoc, gomphos,a club, 
and k«pmoc, karpos, a fruit; in reference to the ventricose fol- 
licles). R. Br. in mem. wern. soc. 1. p. 37.—-Asclépias species, 
Lin. and Thunb. 
Lin. syst. Pentdndria, Digynia. Corolla 5~parted, re- 
flexed. Corona seated on the top of the tube of the filaments ; 
5-leaved ; foliola cucullate, furnished with a tooth on both sides, 
empty inside. Anthers terminated by a membrane; pollen 
masses compressed, fixed by their tapering tops, pendulous. 
Stigma depressed, mutic.  Follicles ventricose, echinated by 
soft spines. Seeds comose.—Erect shrubs or subshrubs, na- 
tives of South Africa. Leaves opposite, with usually revolute 
edges. Umbels interpetiolar. 
1 G. amsonz'scENs (R. Br. l. c. p. 38. and in Hort. kew. 
ed. 2. vol. 2. p. 79.) stem villous, branched; leaves ovate- 
oblong, glabrous, with an acumen. h. G. Native of the 
Cape of Good Hope. Asclépias arboréscens, Lin. mant. 216. 
Willd. spec. 1. p. 1271. "Thunb. fl. cap. 2. p. 156. Jacq. 
scheenbr. 1. p. 25. t. 50.  Asclépias crassifolia, Hort. par. 
Asclépias pubéscens, Lin. mant. 215. exclusive of the synonymes 
which belong to G. crispa.—Burm. afr. 31. t. 13.—Pluk. 
amalth. 18. t. 359. f. 3.  Peduncles, pedicels, and calyxes 
villous. Corollas white, glabrous. 
Arborescent Gomphocarpus. FI. Dec. 
to 6 feet. 
2 G. rruticosus (R. Br. l. c.) stem downy; leaves linear- 
lanceolate, glabrous. kh. G, Native of the Cape of Good 
Cit. 1714. Shrub 4 
f° 
Hope, beyond the first range of mountains, abundant. Sims, 
bot. mag. 1628. Asclépias fruticósa, Lin. spec. 313. Thunb. 
fl. cap. 2. p. 154. A. glabra, Mill. dict. no. 12. fig. 45. Apó- 
cynum salicifolium, Medic. act. parl.— Herm. par. 23. t. 24. 
Plukn. alm. 36. t. 138. f. 2.—Asclépias crassifolia, Lin. syst. 
p. 214. Branches slender. Leaves 4-5 inches long and an 
inch broad. Flowers white. _Peduncles and pedicels downy. 
Shrubby Gomphocarpus. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1714. Sh. 
5 to 7 feet. 
3 G. seròsus (R. Br. l. c.) branches villous ; leaves glabrous. 
b. G. Native of Arabia Felix. — Asclépias setósus, Vahl, 
symb. I. p. 23, t. 8. Forsk. desc. p. 51. Leaves an inch 
