Riocreuxia. } LXXXV. ASCLEPIADEE (BROWN). 465 
45. RIOCREUXIA, Decne. ; Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Pl. ii. 780. 
Calyx 5-partite. Corolla tubular, more or less inflated at the base, 
straight, 5-lobed ; lobes linear, erect, connate at their tips, very slightly 
overlapping to the left in bud, not strictly valvate. Corona double, 
arising from the staminal-column; outer corona of 5 small spreading 
bifid lobes, alternating with the anthers or united into a spreading 
10-toothed frill-like ring; inner corona of 5 linear or shortly oblong 
lobes, erect and closely applied to the backs of the anthers, sometimes 
longer than the anthers and connivent over them. Staminal-column 
arising from or near the bottom of the corolla-tube, very short and 
together with the corona included in the inflated part of the corolla; 
anthers erect, oblong, terminated by a small, somewhat fleshy appen- 
dage. Pollen-masses erect, pellucid at the apex, solitary in each anther- 
cell, attached slightly below their middle in pairs to the pollen-carriers 
by exceedingly short caudicles. Style not exceeding the anthers, trun- 
cate at the apex. Follicles linear-fusiform, acuminate, usually more or 
less beaded, from being constricted between the seeds, smooth. Seeds 
crowned with a tuft of hairs.—Tuberous rooted perennials with annual 
twining stems several feet in length. Leaves opposite, cordate. Inflor- 
escence lateral at the nodes, consisting either of a cymose panicle with the 
flowers in few- or many-flowered sessile umbels racemosely arranged 
along the branches, or of 2 or more sessile umbels racemosely arranged 
along a single peduncle, and often with a sessile umbel at the node itself. 
Flowers usually numerous, of moderate size. 
Species few, chiefly natives of South Africa. 
This genus is closely allied to Ceropegia, and only differs in the character of i 
inflorescence. 
Stem pubescent along one line alternating at the 
nodes ; inner coronal-lobes longer than the anthers. 1. R. profusa. 
Stem villous; inner coronal-lobes shorter than the 
anthers . : ; t : : 3 . 2. R. splendida. 
1. R. profusa, V. #. Br. in Kew Bulletin, 1895, 260. 
Stem twining, 3-1} lin. thick, pubescent along one line alterna- 
ting at the nodes, otherwise glabrous. Leaves spreading ; petiole 1-2} 
in. long, pubescent ; blade 24-54 in. long, 14-4 in. broad, cordate-ovate 
or elliptic-ovate, shortly cuspidate, acute or acuminate, deeply cordate 
at the base, with a broad subtruncate sinus between the semiorbicular 
incurved or overlapping basal-lobes, palmately 7-nerved, denuded along 
the basal nerves at the sinus, thinly and rather minutely pubescent on 
both sides or nearly glabrous above. Cymes large, glabrous, divided at 
their origin into 2-3 branches from }-7 in. long, which are dichoto- 
mously ortrichotomously branched and bearseveral umbel-like cymules of 
3-4 flowers; bracts subulate 4-1 lin. long,; pedicels 3-1} in. long, 
slender, glabrous. Sepals 1} lin. long, lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous. 
Corolla 7—8} lin. long, glabrous outside and within ; tube 4—5} lin. long, 
subcylindric or slightly inflated at the base ; lobes 3-3} lin. long, linear- 
lanceolate, attenuate-acute, erect, connate at the tips, apparently orange- 
VOL, Iv. 2H 
