45S 



OIL ASCLEPIADACE^. 



ASCLEFIAB. 



N. Oleander. Rose Day-tree. Olr.ojider. — Lrs. linear-lanceolate; xe/?. squar- 

 rose • corona 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 beauliiul, rose-colored. One variety has white flowers, another 

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

 (i?ei;. S. HeOard !) giowins; by rivulets, &c. It is commonly supposed by travel- 

 ers to be the plant to whicn the Psalmitts alludes, Ps. i. 3, and xxxvii. 35. 



Or.DER CII. ASCLEPIADACE^.— AscLEPiAEs. 



Herbs or shrubs, with a milky juice 



Fis. Bojuewliat luubeled, t^scicled or racemose. 



Lvs. almost constantly opposite, entire, exstipulate. 

 Sep. 5, hhglitly united, persistent. 



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

 twisted imbiic^ite in iBstivation. 



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

 nate witli its segments. 



jf'iZ. connate, .l;;?/!. 'i-celied, cells sometimes nearly 

 divided by jiurlial septa. 



Pol. when the anther bursts cohering in masses 

 whicli are as many as the cells, or conlljenlinto 

 pairs and adhering to the 5 processes ol' the 

 stigma either by 2s, by -Is or singly. 



Ova. 2, sti/les 2, approximate, often very sliort. Sti^- 

 mas united into 1, which is common to both 

 styles, and with 5 glandular angles. 



Fr. — Follicles 2, one of them sometimes abortive. 



Stls. numerous, pendidous, almost always comose at 

 the hilum. Albumen thin. 



Embnjo straight. Cotyledons foliaceous. Rodiclt 

 superior. 



Genera HI, species 910, chicflj; natives of tropical 

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

 and New Holland, but are not uncommon in tempe- 

 rate regions. 



Prnpert/Vw.— Simil.ir to those of the Apocynacese, 

 but far le=s active. The juice is acrid and stimulat- 

 ing, and generally to be, at least, suspected A few 

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

 sequence. 



FIG. 55—9. Asclepias oomufi. 9. A flower, tho 

 petals and sepals retlexed, and the corona erect. 10. 

 One of the segments of the co'ona with the horn bent 

 ii.w.inlly. 11. A pair of (lollen masses snsiiended 

 iVom the glands at an angle of the aniheriiliura. 12. 

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

 with it-- 'ong silky coma. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



\ each with a horn. .... Aidepias.- ' 



("erect Segments of the coronas, distinct, ? witliont horns. Fls. greenish. . . Acerates. 2 



I I Corona leaflets 5, distinct, each 2 lobed. Fls. white. . Enn enia. 3 



1 < Corona annular, undnliife. oawned. Fls, puri)le. . Cionolobits. 4 



Herbs (.twining and climbing. ( Corona urceolate, 5 cleft, Sawned. Fls. purple. . . Pe.riploca. 3 



1. ASCLEPIAS. 



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



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



finally reflexed ; staminal corona 3 leaved, leaflets cucullate, with an 



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



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



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



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



eose ; seeds comose. — % Mostb/ North American., with opposite^ verti- 



cillate, rarely alternate leaves. Umbels between the petioles. 



* Leaves opposite. 



1. A. coRNtJTi. Dpcai.sne. (A. Syriaca. Lhm. and 1st edit.) Common S'lk- 



v:eed. — S". simple ; lvs. otlong-lanceolate, pstiolate, graduallv acute, 



tomentose beneath; iimbels nodding; seg. (f the corona bidenlate; fotlicles muri- 



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



12 \ mm \ 



