460 CII. ASCLEPIADACEiE. Acerates. 



B lanceolata. Decaisne. Lvs. lanceolate, acuminate, acute at base and nar- 

 rowed into the petiole .—Ohio, la., Dr. Pluvtmer ! 



7. A. PARViFLORA. Ph. (A. debilis. Mx.) Small-flou^ered Asclepias. 

 Suffrutescent and branched at base , sis. ascending, terete, smooth ; lvs. 



lanceolate, attenuate at base and apex, petiolate, smooth both sides, thin ; ped. 

 shorter than the leaves, umbellate, many-flowered; iimhels small, pubescent; 

 corolla 3 or 4 times shorter than the pedicels ; kor7is filiform, acute. — A very- 

 delicate species, with small, white flowers. Woods, along rivers, N. Y. to Ga., 

 W. to la. ! Stems olten clustered, IJ— 3f high, very lealy. Leaves 4—6' (in- 

 cluding the 1' petiole) by 1— U'. Umbels several, 1' diam., 15— 20-flowerea. 

 July, Aug. 



8. A. VARiEGATA. (A. hybrida. Michx.) 



St. simple, erect, pubescent ; lvs. ovate or obovate, mucronate, glabrous, 

 glaucous beneath ; ped. lateral or terminal, one-third as long as the leaves, um- 

 bellate many-flowered; cor. segments ovale ; corwia segments rounded at apex; 

 horns broad-falcate, with the apex horizontal or suberect ; follicles oblong, with 

 a long and slender point, minutely puberulent. — Woods, N. Y. to Carolina. Stem 



3 4f high. Leaves with a slight acumination, at length slightly undulate. 



Umbels about 2, 20— 30-flowered. Corolla white, slightly tinged with purple. 



9. A. PAUPERcuLA. Michx. (A. laurilblia. Ph. not Mx. A. lanceolata. 



Walt.) — St. virgate, erect, glabrous ; lvs. linear and linear-oblong, mar- 

 gin narrowly revolute, both sides glabrous, tapering into a short petiole ; ped. 1 

 or 2 at top of the stem, umbel puberulent, lew-flowered; corona segments ovate, 

 dilated above ; horns short, included.— N. J. to La. in wet woods. Stem 3 — If 

 high, ver}- smooth. Leaves green on both sides, rough on the edges, mostly 

 very'narfow. Flowers greenish-red, petals linear-oblohg, half as long as the 

 pedicel. 



10. A. RUBRA. (A. laurifolia. Mx. A. acuminata. Ph. A. periplocasfolia. Nult.) 

 St. simple, erect ; lvs. ovate-acuminate, very acute, subcordate or rounded 



at base, subsessile, glabrous ; ■umbels on long, mostly terminal peduncles ; corona 

 segmerits acute, rather longer than the suberect horns. — A small and elegant 

 species, in Penn., N. J. to Car., not common. Stem 1 — 2f high, with a pubes- 

 cent line on one side. Leaves 3 — 5' bv 1 — 2', in remote pairs, the upper some- 

 times alternate. Peduncles 1 — 5, 2 — 3' long, pedicels about 1'. Flowers greeu- 

 ish-purple. Follicles ventricose-acuminate, smoothish. July, Aug. 

 * Leaves alternate. 



11. A. TXTBERosA. Tuber-root Asclepias. Butterfly Weed. 



S'. ascending, hairy, with spreading branches at top; lvs. alternate, ob- 

 long-lanceolate, sessile; vmbels numerous, forming large, terminal corymbs. — 

 Found in sandy fields. Can. and U. S., rare in N. Eng. Root large, fleshy, 

 sending up numerous stems. These are about 2f high, leafy, erect or ascend- 

 ing, hairy and colored. Leaves hairy, scattered, only the upper ones quite ses- 

 sile, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, obtuse at base, 2 — 4' by i — 1'. The co- 

 rymb consists of numerous, bright orange-colored flowers. Petals 5, oblong, 

 reflexed, concealing the small calyx. Pods or follicles lanceolate, pointed, and 

 like the other species, containing long, silky down, uniting the flat, ovate seeds 

 to the placentae. Aug. — Medicinal. 



* * Leaves verticillate. 

 12. A. VERTiciT.LATA. Wkcrl-leavcd Asclepias. 



S'. erect, simple, marked with pubescent lines; lvs. generally verticillate, 

 very narrowly linear, revolute ; segs. of the corona short, 2-toothed, horn falcate, 

 exsert. — A slender and delicate species, 2f high, in swamps or moist meadows, 

 Can. and U. S. Leaves in whorls of 4 — (>, 3 — 5' long and a line in width. 

 Flowers small, greenish-white, in small, lateral umbels. Peduncles half as 

 long as the leaves. July. 



2. ACERATES. Ell. 



Gr. a, privative, Kcpart;, horns; the corona being destitute of these processes. 



Calyx 5-parted : cor. deeply 5-parted, limb spreading or reflexed ; 



