458 



CII. ASCLEPIADACE^. 



ASCLEPIAS. 



N. Oleander. Rose Bay-tree. Oleander. — Lvs. linear-lanceolate ; sep. squar- 

 rose ; corana flat, its segments 3-toothed. Native in S. Europe and the Levant. 

 Stem branched. Leaves 3 together, on short stalks, smooth, very entire, coria- 

 ceous, with prominent, transverse veins beneath. Flowers terminal, corym- 

 bose, large and beautilul, rose-colored. One variety has white flowers, another 

 variegated, and a third, double. This splendid shrub is common in Palestine, 

 {Rev. S. Hcbardl) growing by rivulets, &c. It is commonly supposed bv travel- 

 ers to be the plant to which the Psalmists alludes, Ps. i. 3, and xxxvii. 35. 



Order CII. ASCLEPIADACE^.— Asclepiafs. 



Herbs or shrubs, with a mjlky juice. Lvs. aJmost constantly opposite, entire, exstipulate. 



Fl8. somewhat lunbeled, Ikscicled or racemose. Sep. 5, slightly united, persistent. 



Cor. petals 5, united at base, regular, deciduous, 

 twisted-imbricate in a;stivation. 



Sta. 5, inserted into the Intse of the corolla and alter- 

 nate with its segments. 



Fil. connate. Aiith. 2-celled, cells sometimes nearly 

 divided by partial septa. 



Pol. when the anther bursts cohering in masses 

 whicli are as many as the cell.-;, or confluent into 

 pairs and adliering to the 5 processes of the 

 stigma either by 2s, by 4s ox singly. 



Ova. 2, stijles 2, approximate, often very sliort. Stig- 

 mas united into 1, which is common to both 

 styles, and with 5 glandular angles. 



F;-.— Follicles 2, one of them sometimes abortive. 



Sds. numerous, pendulous, almost always coraose at 

 the hilum. Albumen thin. 



Embri/o straight. Cotyledons foliaceous. Radicle 

 superior. 



Genera Ul, species 910, chiefly natives of tropical 

 regions, and especially abundant in .S. Africa, S. India 

 and New Holland, but are not uncommon in tempe- 

 rate regions. 



Properties.— Simi\aT to those of the Apocynacere, 

 but far less active. The juice is acrid and stitnulat- 

 iri^, and generally to be, at least, suspected. A few 

 of the species are medicinal, but none of much con- 

 sequence. 



FIG. 55.-8. Asclepias cornuti. 9. A flower, the 

 petals and sepals retlexed, and the corona erect. lO. 

 One of the segments of the corona with the horn bent 

 inwardly. 11. A pair of pollen masses suspended 

 from the glands at an angle of the antheridium. 12. 

 The two ovaries. 13. A mature follicle. 14. A seed 

 with it*' 'ong silky coma. 



Conspectus of the denera. 



teach with a horn. .... Asclepias. ' 



f erect. Segments of the corona 5, distinct, ( without horns. Fis. greenish. . . Acerates. 2 



( Corona leaflets 5, distinct, each 2-lobed. Fls. white. . Emslenia. 3 



< Corona annular, undulate. 0-awned. Fls. purple. . . Gonolobus. 4 



twining and climbing. ( Corona urceolate, 5cleft, 5awned. Fls. purple. . . Periploca. 5 



1. ASCLEPIAS. 



The Gr. name, from Esculapius, the fabulous god of medicine and physicians. 



Calyx deeply 5-parted ; cor. deeply 5-parted, valvate in aestivation, 



finally reflexed ; starainal corona 3-leaved. leaflets cucullate, with an 



averted, horn-like process from the base, curved towards the stigma ; 



antheridium (connate mass of anthers) 5-angled, truncate, opening 



by 5 longitudinal fissures ; pollinia (masses of pollen) 5 distinct 



pairs, fixed by the attenuated apex, pendulous ; follicles 2, ventri- 



cose ; seeds comose. — %- Mostli/ North Arfiericaii^ with opposite^ verti- 



dilate^ rarely alternate leaves. Umbels between the petioles. 



* Leaves opposite. 



1. A. CORNUTI. Decaisne. (A. Syriaca. Linn, and l5^ edit.) Common Silk- 



veed. — St. simple ; lvs. oblong-lanceolate, petiolate, gradually acute, 



tomentose beneath; nmbels nodding; sefr. of the cnron.a bidentate; follicles muri- 



cate. — A coarse, very lactescent plant, common by roadsides, and in sandy 



