Asclepias. pentandria digynia. 51 



the base. Petioles about an inch long, channelled, smooth. 

 Umbels between the leaves, compound, poduncled. Pe- 

 duncles short, round, smooth. Pedicels twice as lont^ as 

 the peduncles, one-flowered. Bractes subulate ; mixed 

 amongst the insertions of the pedicels, i^/owers numerous, 

 large, colour a most beautiful mixture of purple, red-pur- 

 ple and white. Calyx five-leaved ; leaflets linear, acute, 

 scarcely half the length of the corol. Corol ; tube globular. 

 Segments of the border three-angular, (not contorted.) 

 Nectarium as in Asclepias gigantea, but shorter. Indeed 

 the w hole plant comes so exceedingly near that beautiful 

 species, that by a common observer it may be taken for 

 the same, though very different, particularly in having 

 petioled leaves, and a globular tube the corol. Follicles 

 two ; but I have not seen any that were full grown. 



Like Asclepias gigantea, and most other plants of the 

 same order, every part is replete with much acrid, milky 

 juice. 



26. A. tenacissima. R. 



Leaves long-petioled, exactly-cordate, fine-pointed, 

 villous. Panicles drooping. Genitalia obovate. Follicles 

 ovate-oblong, obtuse, tomentose. 



This plant is a native of the mountains near Rajemahl, 

 and the fibres of its bark are employed by the inhabitants 

 to make their bow strings. 



This elegant, and very useful species was first taken 

 notice of in 1800 by Mr. W. Roxburgh, junior, growing 

 wild on the above mentioned hills, and by him introduc- 

 ed into the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where the plants 

 thrive luxuriantly, blossom in April, and ripen their 

 seed about ten months afterwards. 



Stem perennial, twaning over trees, &c. to a very great 

 extent, and in general about as thick as a large ratan. 

 Branches few, young shoots downy. From ^vounds there 



G 2 



