GENUS 2. 



.MILKWEED FAMILY. 



33 



2. ASCLEPIODORA A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 12 : 66. 1876. 



Erect or decumbent perennial herbs, similar to Asdepias, with alternate or opposite 

 entire leaves, and rather large flowers in terminal solitary or corymbed umbels. Sepals lan- 

 ceolate. Corolla rotate, its segments spreading. Hoods oblong, inserted over the whole of 

 the very short corona-column, curved upward, obtuse, crested within, at least in the upper 

 part, slightly longer than the anther ; at the sinuses between the hoods a small lobe or 

 appendage, alternate with the anther-wings, simulating an inner crown. Anthers tipped with 

 a scarious membrane, their wings horny, narrowed below, sometimes angled above the middle. 

 Pollen-masses pendulous, pyriform, longer than their caudicles. Follicles ovoid or oblong, 

 acuminate, with or without soft spinose processes, erect or ascending on the decurved or 

 twice bent fruiting pedicels. Seeds comose. [Greek, gift of Aesculapius.] 



Five or six species, natives of the southern United States and Mexico. Type species : Asclepio- 

 dora viridis (Walt.) A. Gray. 



Glabrous or nearly so ; leaves oblong to ovate-lanceolate ; umbels corymbose. i. A. viridis. 



Stem rough-puberulent ; leaves lanceolate or linear, acuminate; umbels solitary. 2. A. decumbens, 



i. Asclepiodora viridis (Walt.) A. Gray. 

 Oblong-leaved Milkweed. Fig. 3407. 



Asclcpias viridis Walt. Fl. Car. 107. 1788. 



Asclepiodora viridis A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 12 : 

 66. 1876. 



Stem erect, puberulent above, simple, l-2 

 high. Leaves oblong to ovate-lanceolate, rather 

 thin, obtuse and mucronulate or acute at the 

 apex, narrowed or rounded at the base, short- 

 petioled, 2.\'-~,' long, \'-\\' wide; umbels 2-4, 

 or sometimes solitary; peduncles ii'-2' long; 

 pedicels sic ,der, about \' lon# ->rMla green- 

 ish, its segments, when exp? ., oblong, ob- 

 tuse or acute, 4"-6" long, 2- ^mes as long as 

 the purplish or violet entire-margined hoods; 

 anther-wings narrow, scarcely angled above ; 

 fruiting pedicels twice bent; follicles ascend- 

 ing, puberulent, 2'-3' long, sometimes with soft 

 spinose projections. 



In dry soil, Illinois to Kansas, Texas, South 

 Carolina and Florida.. May-July. 



2. Asclepiodora decumbens (Nutt.) 



A. Gray. Decumbent Milkweed. 



Fig. 3408. 



decumbens Nutt. Trans. Am. Phil. 



,^OC. (II.) 5: 202. 1833-37. 



< ?. & ' 'dora decumbens A. Gray, Proc. Am. 

 Aidd. 12: 66. 1876. 



t- terns decumbent or ascending, rough- 



pub/ u lent, io'-2 long. Leaves firm, linear 



to ^ ceolate, glabrous above, puberulent on 



thr* ins beneath, acuminate at the apex, 



na ved at the base, $'-j' long, 2"-8" 



wit. \ umbel solitary, many-flowered; pe- 



dur> i i '-5' long; pedicels stout, i'-i' long; 



corf, a depressed-globose in the bud, green- 



5sh,! .s segments, when expanded, ovate or 



broil ly oval, longer than the hoods ; hoods 



;>u ' :, obtusely 3-lobed on the ventral 



ma'f ns, about 3" long, their tips incurved; 



anti -wings broad, angled above ; follicles 

 nea erect on the recurved fruited pedi- 



cel? ,'-4' long, puberulent, at least when 



you- , with or without soft projections. 



ry soil, Kansas to Texas and Mexico, 

 v- Utah and Arizona. April-June. 



