stigma. 



o87. Hota parasitica (Wall. Asclepias parasitica 

 Roxb.) scandent, parasitical, glabrous, branches slender, 

 terete : leaves fleshy, glabrous, shining, slightly 3-nerved 

 at the base, oblong-lanceolate, tapering to a point : pe- 

 duncles about half the length of the leaves, many-flow- 

 ered: corolla glabrous, deeply 5-cleft : leaflets of the 

 crown ovate-acute, the interior angle resting on the 



—Wight's Contributions. 

 ^ Lower leafy portion of a branch showing the para- 

 sitic roots— I a flowering branch — 2 a flower, front view 

 —3 back view of the same— 4 a follicle. 



588. ^ Tylopiiora tenuissima (W. and A.— Asclepias 

 tenuissima Rt>xb.) twining, glabrous, stem and branches 

 slender: leaves oblong-lanceolate, subcordate at the 

 base, veinless, slightly revolute on the margin (two or 

 three inches long by about half an inch broad) : pedun- 

 cles flexuose, pedicels numerous fascicled on the flex- 

 ures: flowers small, leaflets of the crown ovate-oblong : 

 pollen masses ascending: stigma convex: follicles di- 

 verging glabrous. 



Obs. 



W. and A. Contributions p. 49. 



ag- 



The flexuose peduncles wilh the pedicels 

 gregated in fascicles on the flexures is nearly peculiar to 

 this genus and occurs in almost every species I know. 

 In my genus Iphesia a similar habit prevails which 

 leads me to doubt whether it ought to be kept up. 

 1 Flowering branch -2 expanded flower. 



- 



589. Marsdenia tinctoria (R. Br.— Asclepias tine- 

 toria Roxb.) twining: leaves ovate or oblong, acuminated 

 cordate at the base, nearly glabrous, furnished with 

 glands near the base : thyrses lateral ; flowers small 

 bearded on the throat : leaflets of the crown subulate, 



as long as the gynostegium : stigma blunt.— Wight's 

 Contributions p. 40. 



1 Flowering branch— 2 an expanded flower— 3 the 

 same dissected showing the gynostegium in situ— 4 ova- 

 ry and stigma. 



590. Marsdenia Tfnacissima (W. and A.— Ascle- 

 pias tenacissima Roxb.) twining : leaves cordate acu- 

 minated, tomentose on both sides : cymes large pani- 

 cked : segments of the corolla broad obtuse: leaflets of 

 the crown broad truncate. I, entire or slightly bifurcated 

 at the apex : stigma obtusely apiculate.— Wight's Con- 

 tributions p. 4 1. 



1 Flowering branch— 2 dissected flower — 3 ovary and 

 stigma — 4 detached pollen— 5 stamens front view, with 

 the crown attached. 



591. CosMosTfGMA racemo^a (R. W. — Asclepias ra- 

 cemosa Roxb.) This is the only species of this genus, 

 which is easily distinguished by the peculiar habit and 

 its remarkable crested or ornamented stigma (whence 

 the name) which however is not very clearly shown in 

 the figure. 



1 Flowering branch 



2 dissected flower 

 4 ovary cut transversely— 5 cut vertically 



7 a seed— 8 cut transversely 

 the embryo. 



3 pollen 

 6 a follicle 



9 dissected showing 



592. Gymnema tingens (Var ovalifolia W. and A. 

 Asclepias montana Roxb.) twining, shrubby, younger 

 brandies herbaceous, glabrous, leaves from cordate -ovae 

 to ovate or oval, usually abruptly acuminated, glabrous : 

 umbels or corymbs often paired, at first shorter than the 

 petio!, at length elongating spirally : flowers largish 

 (pale yellow) throat of the corolla naked, tube furnished 

 with hairy lines : glands of the filaments more than a 

 half shorter than the stamens, stigma blunt, exceeding 

 the stamens. — Wight's Contributions p. 45. 



1 Flowering branch — 2 calyx — 3 corolla split open 

 showing the hairy lines, but not representing them quite 

 correctly — 4 gynostegium showing the stamens and pro- 

 minent obtuse stLina -5 a detached stamen. 



593. ^ Gtmnema tingevs (Var cordifolia W. and A. 

 Asclepias tingens Roxb.) see the preceding character. 



Obs. Dr. Roxburgh assigning a higher value to char- 

 acters taken from variations in the foliage than I feel dis- 

 posed to adopt, has, mainly on that ground, constituted 

 the plants represented in these two figures, distinct spe- 

 cies. I am not disposed to follow him in that di\i>ion, 

 but think it incumbent on me, having the opportunity of 

 doing so, to show Roxburgh's reasons and leave those 

 interested in the question to decide which is right. 



1 Flowering branch— 2 dissected flower showing more 

 correctly the form of the hairy lines — 3 gynostegium 

 4 pollen — 5 stamen— 6 follicle— 7 a seed. 



594, Hemidesmus indictjs (R. Br.— Asclepias pseu- 

 dosarsa Ro\b.) glabrous : leaves from cordate to ovate, 

 cuspidate, passing into narrow linear, acute, often oblong- 

 lanceolate : cymes often subsessile, sometimes peduncled 

 scales of the corolla obtuse cohering the whole length of 



the tube : follicles slender, straight.— Wight's Contribu- 

 tions p. 63. 



1 Flowering branch— 2 a vwgmfied flower front view 



3 the same dissected, calyx and corolla detached to 



show the gynostegium ~4 follicles— 5 a leaf of different 

 variety. 



595. Sarcostemma brevistigma ? (W. and A. — As- 

 clepias acida Roxb.) twining, leafless, umbels terminal or 

 terminating short lateral branches : cah x and pedicels 

 glabrous : exterior crown 10-plaited, 10-crenated ; the 

 leaflets of the interior one gibbous on the back equaling 



the gynostegium : stigma blunt. 



Wight's Contributions 



Obs. In the true 5. viminale the stigma is prolonged, 

 pointed, and bifid at the apex, here it is evidently flat- 

 tened, on which account I have doubtfully referred Rox- 

 burgh's As. acida to this species, in place of to viminale 

 to which it is usually assigned. 



1 Flowering branch — 2 at) expanded flower front view 

 — 3 back view — 4 ovary and stigma with the attached 

 pollen. 



596. D^mia Extensa (R. Br. — Asclepias echenata 

 Roxb.) shrubby twining : leaves roundish, cordate, acu- 

 minate, auricled at the base, pubescent above, glaucous, 

 peduncles and elongated pedicels filiform : margin of 

 the corolla ciliated. 



2 dissected flower — 3 pollen and 

 ovary — 4 stamen and crown— 5 follicle. The pubescence 

 of the corolla is not shown. 



597. Holostemma rherdu (Spreng.— Asclepias an- 



nularia Roxb.) leaves broad ovate-cordate.— Wight's 

 Contributions p. 55. 



^ Obs. To the localities mentioned in the " Contribu- 

 tions" I am now enabled to add Courtallum and the 

 Neilgherries from both of which I have specimens. 



1 Flowering branch— 2 a flower with the corolla re- 

 moved to show the annular crown — 3 ovary, stigma and 

 pendulous polleu masses— 4 detached polieu— 5 a sta- 

 men. 



I Flowering branch 



598. Toxocarpus 



LAuRiFOLius (R. \V.— Asclepias 

 laurifolia Roxb.) glabrous : leaves oval, sometimes ob- 

 tuse, oftener acuminate coriaceous : corymbs sessile, de- 

 varicately tricfiotomous, very ramous : flowers numer- 

 ous small, segments of the corolla reflexed, bearded 

 within . leaflets of the crown fleshy, short, roundish- 

 ovate, acute, with the interior lacinula shortly exserted, 

 equaling the gynostegium : apices of the anthers thick- 

 ened, sub (-restate, curved over the obconically apiculate 

 stigma: follicles sleuder, diverging horizontally.— Wight's 

 Contributions p. 61. 



1 Flowering; branch— 2 back view of the corolla- 



3 



front view more highly magnified — 4 ovary aud stigma 

 5 stamen seen from within— 6 a seed. 



( 7 ) 



- 



