1016 ASCLEPIADEE (Brown). [ Piaranthus. 
arising from the staminal column, simple ; lobes 5, opposite the 
anthers, incumbent upon them with or without erect tips or rarely 
erect, dorsally produced or expanded into a truncate minutely 
tuberculate or denticulate crest. Staminal column arising from the 
base of the corolla, short ; anthers free, oblong, without appendages 
at their apex, incumbent upon the dilated top of the style. 
Pollen-masses solitary in each anther-cell, subhorizontal, pellucid 
along the inner margin near the apex, attached in pairs by very 
short caudicles to minute excrescences on the sides of the narrow 
pollen-carriers. ollicles and seeds not seen. 
Very dwarf succulent leafless herbs, with watery juice; stems decumbent or 
ascending, flowering at or near the apex or middle; flowers in pairs or fascicles, 
erect, small or of moderate size. 
Distrrs. : Species 11, endemic. 
This genus was founded in 1811 by Robert Brown upon Stapelia pulla and 
S. punctata, Masson, and characterised as having no outer corona (‘‘ staminal 
corona simple, 5-leaved, with the leaflets toothed on the back’’). But this character 
must have been made from S. punctata, as S. pulla has a most distinet outer 
corona. In 1812, Haworth, recognising that S. pulla and S. punctata represented 
_ two distinct genera, unfortunately referred S. pulla to Piaranthus, and founded 
his genus Obesia upon S. punctata, S, decora and S. geminata, Masson, but ascribed 
to Obesia and Piaranthus identical characters, Matters have been further confused 
by the erroneous description of Obesia given by Decaisne in DC. Prodr. viii. 661, 
and by Bentham and Hooker having placed Piaranthus as a synonym of the totally 
different Podanthes, Haw., whilst finally Dr. Schlechter in Jowrn. Bot. 1898, 478- 
479 has united Piaranthus with Caralluma. The genus however is quite distinct 
from all others and very easily recognised from living plants by the corona and 
peculiar habit. Some of the species are rather closely allied, and although fairly 
easy to recognise when alive, I find are difficult to tabulate, whilst dried specimens 
are exceedingly difficult to discriminate unless exceptionally well dried. In some 
cases the flowers of the same species vary very considerably in colour and some- 
tames in ciliation, and distinct varieties might easily be mistaken for different 
species, but Mr. Pillans informs me that the different variations grow together and 
are connected by a series of intermediate forms, 
Fully expanded corolla* with a distinct campanulate or 
cup-shaped tube : 
Corolla-lobes more than twice as long as_ broad, 
‘*papillose”’ (puberulous?) on the inner surface, 
whitish, dotted with blood-red... ; bas 
Corolla-lobes scarcely longer than broad, glabrous, 
blackish-purple vas pes in tee ... (11) grivanus. 
Fully expanded corolla rotate or subrotate without a 
distinct. tube, velvety-puberulous or pubescent on 
the inner surface. poy 
_ Corona-lobes much longer than the anthers, with the 
tips connivent-erect, recurving, or erect and 
doubly curved : 
oe 
(1) punctatus. 
* Caution is necessary with regard to this character, as I have occasionally seen” 
upon cultivated plants bot species belonging to the tubeless series, flowers that never 
hort cup-like tube. Also if fully ex: 
_ fully expanded and had a very xpanded 
fabaiees fos flowers are preserved up ina 
