52 PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA. Asclepias. 
exudes a milky juice, which thickens into an elastic sub- 
stance, very like Caoutchouc and rubs out blacklead pen- 
- cillines as readily as that does, and I think may be reckon- 
ed an additional species of it. Leaves opposite, the pairs in 
luxuriant shoots (fit for flax,) very remote, petioled, ex- 
actly cordate, acute-pointed, entire, very soft, with much 
fine down on both sides; general length from four to six 
inches, and from three to four broad. Petioles round, 
downy; from two to four inches long. Panicles interfoli- 
aceous, large, drooping, composed of alternate, drooping 
branches, of numerous, small umbellets, of beautiful green- 
ish yellow flowers. Bractes minute, two or three under the 
insertion of the fascicles of flowers which compose the 
umbellets. Calyx deeply five-cleft ; divisions rather more 
than half the length of the tube of the corol, and downy 
on the outside. Corol salver-shaped. Divisions of the 
border obliquely oval, with apices rounded, greenish to- 
ward the centre, with the exterior half yellow. Column 
of fructification short-clavate, about as long as the 
tube of the corol, with the white apex of the common 
stigma naked, Follicles ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, nearly 
round, with a groove on the inside, clothed with much soft, 
velvet-like green down ; about six inches long, and from 
four to five in circumference where thickest. Seeds nu- 
merous, obovate, thin, with a broad membranaceous mar- 
gin, and long soft silky pappus. 
The bark of the young luxuriant shoots yields a lange 
portion of beautiful fine silky fibres, with which the moun- . 
taineers of Rajemahl make their bow strmgs,on account. ~ 
of their great strength, and durability. 
During the rains, they cut the shoots into denen at 
the insertion of the lea, es, peel off the bark, and with 
their nails, or a bit of stick on a board, remove the pulpy 
part. A person accustomed to this work, will, f am told, . 
clean as much as six pounds of the fibres in one day. | 
_ These fibres, and those of the bark of the Malay Haat: 
