Tas. 7984, 
CRYPTOSTEGIA MapaGascaRiENsIs. 
: Native of Madagascar. 
Nat. Ord. AscLEPIADACE#.—Tribe PERIPLOCE. 
Genus CryprosteciA, R.Br. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 742.) 
CryptosTgcia, madagascariensis ; species a C. grandiflora petiolis brevioribus 
viridibus floribus minoribus intus sanguineo-purpurels corone# squamis 
indivisis diversa ; frutex scandens, glaber, ramis se#pius verrucosis, foliis 
breviter petiolatis coriaceis lanceolatis ovatis ellipticis vel interdum fere 
orbicularibus 2-4 poll. longis obtuse acuminatis basi rotundatis subtus 
pallidioribus venis ultimis minute reticulatis, floribus in cymas terminales 
dispositis distincte pedicellatis 24-3 poll. diametro, bracteis squamiformi- 
bus cito deciduis, calycis lobis ovatis acutis, corolla lobis tubo ampliato 
longioribus ovato-lanceolatis acutis recurvis, corone squamis 5 subulatis 
infra tubi medium insertis occultis (unde nomen genericum), pollinis 
massis in utroque loculo geminis appendicibas spathulatis applicitis, 
folliculis lignosis cymbiformibus circiter tripollicaribus divaricatis acutis, 
seminibus numerosissimis longe copioseque plumosis. 
C. madagascariensis, Bojer, Cat. Hort. Maurit. (1837), p. 212, nomen nudum. 
Decne. in DC. Prodr. vol. viii. p. 492. Mig. Choir de Plantes Rares, t. 9. 
Jumelle, Les Plantes & Caoutchouc, p. 264, ff. 28,29; Rev. Gén. de Bot. 
1901, p. 394. 
The genus Oryptostegia was founded by R. Brown in 
the ‘ Botanical Register,” vol. v. (1820) t. 485, on a 
cultivated plant, previously published, but not described, 
by Roxburgh, under the name of Nerium grandiflorum. 
Roxburgh records his plant as a native of India, discovered 
by Dr. B. Heyne in 1804; but most subsequent writers 
declare that it exists in India only under cultivation or as 
a colonist. Other writers record it as wild and common 
in certain districts in the Madras Peninsula. There are 
no undoubtedly wild specimens of C. grandiflora, R. Br., in 
the Kew Herbarium ; but there are cultivated specimens 
from Mauritius, Natal, Khartoum, Jamaica, and from the 
most distant parts of India. It is also in cultivation at 
the present time at Kew. ; | 
CO. madagascariensis, Bojer, is the only other species 
known, and, until comparatively recently, only from culti- 
vated specimens ; but now Kew possesses dried specimens 
from various parts of Madagascar, besides cultivated ones 
November 1st, 1904. 
