ASCLEPIADACEAE. 341 



2. ASCLEPIAS L. Sp. PL 214. 1753. 



Perennial herbs, with entire leaves, and middle-sized or small flowers in 

 umbels. Calyx 5-parted or 5-divided, usually small, the segments or sepals 

 acute, often glandular within. Corolla deeply 5-parted, the segments mostly 

 valvate, reflexed in anthesis. Corona-column generally present. Corona of 5 

 concave hoods, each bearing within a slender or subulate incurved horn. Fila- 

 ments connate into a tube; anthers tipped with an inflexed membrane, winged, 

 the wings broadened below the middle; pollen-masses solitary in each sac, 

 pendulous on their caudicles. Stigma nearly flat, 5-angled or 5-lobed. Follicles 

 acuminate. Seeds comose in all but one species. [Dedicated to .^Esculapius.J 

 About 95 species, mostly natives of the New World. Type species: Asclepias 

 syriaca L. 



1. Asclepias curassavica L. Sp. PI. 215. 1753. 



Asclepias curassavica concolor Krug & Urban; Urban, Symb. Ant. 1: 389. 

 1S99. 



Glabrous, or finely pubescent above, 8 dm. high or less. Leaves opposite, 

 oblong to oblong-lanceolate, thin, 5-12 cm. long, acute or acuminate, the 

 petioles 5-15 mm. long; umbels usually several, few-several-flowered; pedicels 

 1-2 cm. long; corolla-lobes led-purple, 6-8 mm. long, ovate to oblong; column 

 distinct; hoods erect, ovate, about 4 mm. high, obtuse, flattened, shorter than 

 the flat, curved horn; fruiting pedicels erect; follicles fusiform, glabrous or 

 minutely pubescent, 3-10 cm. long; seeds 6 mm. long, the coma 3-4 mm. long. 



Waste grounds and coppices, Abaco, Great Bahama, Andros, New Providence and 

 Eleuthera, throughout the archipelago to Grand Turk and Inagua : Bermuda ; Flor- 

 ida and Louisiana ; West Indies and continental tropical America ; Old World trop- 

 ics. Recorded by Herrick and by Dolley as A. paupcrcula. WILD IPECAC. HIPPO. 



3. CALOTROPIS E. Br. in Ait. f. Hort, Kew. ed. 2, 2: 78. 1811. 



Shrubs or trees, with broad, nearly sessile, opposite leaves, and rather 

 large flowers in terminal or axillary umbel-like cymes. Calyx 5-parted, bearing 

 several-many glands at the base within. Corolla subrotate, 5-cleft, with broad 

 lobes; corona-scales 5, fleshy, adnate to the stamen-tube, lobed or toothed, 

 short-spurred. Stamens borne at the base of the corolla; filaments connate, 

 forming a short tube ; anthers tipped by an inflexed membrane ; pollinia soli- 

 tary in each sac, pendulous. Follicles thick, pointed. Seeds comose. [Greek, 

 beautiful keel.] Three species, natives of the Old World tropics, the following 

 typical. 



1. Calotropis procera (Ait.) K. Br. in Ait. f. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 2: 78. 1811. 

 Asclepias procera Ait. IJort. Kew. 1: 305. 1789. 



Arboreous, 1-5 m. high, branched, with the aspect of a gigantic herb. 

 Leaves obovate-oblong to broadly elliptic or nearly orbicular, mostly cuspidate 

 at the apex, cordate at the base, white-felted when young, glabrous when old; 

 the stout petiole 1 mm. long or less; cymes 5-8 cm. broad, several-many-flow- 

 ered, on stout peduncles 4-8 cm. long; pedicels 1-3 cm. long; calyx-segments 

 ovate, about 4 mm. long; corolla white, tinged with red, 2-2.5 cm. broad; 

 follicles swollen, 3-8 cm. long. 



Fields and waste places, spontaneous after cultivation, New Providence, Eleu- 

 thera, Little San Salvador, Cat Island, Long Island, Fortune Island, East Caicos, 

 Dellis' Cay, Salt Cay and Grand Turk : West Indies and continental tropical Amer- 

 ica ; Old World tropics. GIANT MILK-WEED. ST. THOMAS BUSH. WILD DOWN. 

 WILD COTTON. 



