Asclepias, pentandria digynia. 31 



leaves. Involucres several oblong, pointed scales. Flowers 

 large, beautiful, a mixture of rose colour, and purple: 

 Calyx five-parted. Corol flat. 



The white flowered variety differs only from the lilac 

 flowered, in the colour of the flowers. 



A large quantity of an acrid, milky juice, flows from 

 wounds made in every part of these shrubs ; the natives 

 apply it to various medicinal purposes; besides which, 

 they employ the plant itself, and the preparations thereof 

 to cure all kinds of fits ; Epilepsy, Hysterics, Convulsions 

 from Coitu immediately after bathing ; also Spasmodic 

 disorders such as the locked jaw. Convulsions in children, 

 Paralytical complaints, Cold sweat, Poisonous bites, and 

 venereal complaints. Good charcoal for gunpowder issaid 

 to be made of it. A fine sort of silky flax is in some parts 

 prepared from the bark of the young shoots. A large, 

 beautiful, inactive species of Gryllus feeds upon the 

 leaves. 



2. A. sussuela. R. 



Succulent and smooth. Leaves petioled, oblong, point- 

 ed succulent smooth. Peduncles few-flowered. Calyx 

 five-leaved. Carols flat, fleshy, five-lobed. Genitalia 

 short, and obcbnical. 



Corona Ariodnes. Rumph. amb. 5. 1. 182. 



A native of the Moluccas and by far the largest flow- 

 ering species I have yet met with ; when expanded it is 

 nearly three inches in diameter. 



3. A. acida. R. 



Leafless. Unibellets terminal simple. 

 Soma-lata in Sanscrit, rendered Jioon by Wilkinsin his 

 translation of the Bhagavut Geeta, p. 80, and note 42. 

 Cynanchium viminale. Willd. 1. 1252. 

 Teling. Tiga-tshomoodpo. 

 Beng. Bramee or shom-lota. 



