626 



ASCLEPIADACE^. 



[Perigynous Exogens. 



efficacious in gleets and fluor albus. The roots of Tylophora asthmatica are acrid, and 

 used on the coast of Coromandel as a substitute for Ipecacuanha. Dr. Roxburgh found 

 it to answer the same purpose as that drug, and had also very favourable reports of it 

 from others. Dr. J. Anderson, Physician-General at Madras, confirms this ; it was 

 used with great success in a dysentery that was in his time epidemic in the British 

 camp. No doubt it is one of the most valuable medicines in India. In large doses it 

 is emetic ; in smaller doses often repeated it acts as a cathartic. Bm-nett states it to 

 be valuable as a sudorific, and to be pecuharly beneficial m humoral asthma. Similar 

 qualities are possessed by Sarcostemma glaucum, the Ipecacuanha of Venezuela. The 

 Cynanchum acutum and Vincetoxicum officinale are both drastics ; the former produces 

 a drug called Montpellier Scammony. The milk of Periploca grseca is very acrid, and 

 has been employed by Orientals as a wolf-poison ; Gonolobus macrophyllus is reputed 

 to have furnished the North American Indians ^vith a juice to poison theu* arrows. 

 The root and bark, and especially the uispissated milk, of Calotropis gigantea, the 

 Akund, Yercum, or Mudar plant of India, is a powerful alterative and pm'gative ; it is 

 especially in cases of leprosy, elephantiasis, intestinal worms, and venereal affections 

 that it has been found important. The leaves of Solenostemma Argel are used in 

 EgJT* for adulterating Senna, but whether intentionally or from mere carelessness is 

 uncertain. They form a large proportion of some samples of Alexandi-ian (Nubian) 

 Senna ; but they are more bitter than those of Senna, and according to Guibom't are 

 unsafe to administer, in consequence of their irritatmg properties. It is said that 

 Gomphocarpus fruticosus, also called Argel or Arghel in Syria, is employed for the 

 same purpose. The roots of Hemidesmus indicus, from which Mr. Garden obtained 

 Smilasperic acid, are largely employed in India as a substitute for Sarsaparilla. Its 

 diuretic effect is remarkable. It also acts as a diaphoretic and tonic. An account of 

 the Hemidesmus has been pubhshed by Mr. Bell, Pharm. Journ. 3. 239. It is admi- 

 nistered in the form of a syrup ; but an infusion and decoction have been used, the pro- 

 portions being the same as those adopted in the decoction of Sarsaparilla ; viz. two 

 ounces of the root to a pint of water. It is more than probable that caoutchouc is 

 contained in several, for Cynanchum ? ovaUfoUum, according to WaUich, yields excel- 

 lent caoutchouc at Penang ; the tenacity of some species may be owing to its presence, 

 as of Marsdenia tenacissima, employed for bowstiings by the moimtameers of Rajmahl ; 

 the fibre of this plant, and of Urtica tenacissima, was the strongest Roxburgh ever met 

 with. Orthanthera viminea, attaming a height of 10 feet, is also I'emarkable for the 

 length and tenacity of its fibre. Some species yield indigo of excellent quality, as 

 Marsdenia tinctoi'ia, found in Sylhet, and Gymnena ? tingens. See Royle^s Illustrations, 

 p. 274, for much more interesting matter connected with the sensible properties of 

 plants of this Order, and especially of the Mudar. 



GENERA. 



I. PeRIPLOCEvE. 



Cryptostegia, R. Br. 

 Zucchellia, Dec. 

 Tacazzea, Dec. 

 ^chmolepis, Dec. 

 Gymnanthera, R. Br. 

 Camptocarpus, Dec, 

 Finlaysonia, Wall. 

 Hemidesmus, R. Br. 

 Brachylepis, Wight et A. 

 Decalepis, Wight et Am. 

 Streptocaulon, Wigt.et A . 

 Harpanema, Dec. 

 Atherandra, Dec. 

 Phyllanthera, Bliwie. 

 Lepistoma, Bluine. 

 Leposma, Blum. 

 Periploca, L. 

 Campelepis, Falc. 

 Myriopteron, Griff. 

 Pentoretia, Dec. 

 Ectadium, E. 3Iey. 



II. Secamone^e. 



Secamone, R. Br. 

 Goniostemma, Wight. 

 Toxocarpus, Wight et A. 



III.Asclepiade^Ver^, 



Mitostigma, Dec. 

 Astephanus, R Br. 

 Ha?max, E. Mey. 



Hemipogon, Dec. 

 Nautonia, Dec 

 Steinheillia, Dec. 

 Microloma, R. Br. 

 Metaplexis, R. Br. 



Urostelma, Bunge. 

 Parapodium, E. Mey. 

 Barjonia, Dec. 

 Pycnostelma, Dec. 

 Menastelma, R. Br. 

 Roulinia, Dec. 

 Enslenia, Nidt. 



Ampelanus, Raf. 

 Cordylogne, E. Mey. 

 Xysmalobium, R. Br. 

 Odontanthera, Wight. 

 Periglossum, Dec. 

 Glossostephanus, E.Mey. 

 Podostigma, EU. 



Stylandra, Nutt. 



Anantherix, Nutt. 

 Acerates, Ell. 



Polyothus, Nutt. 

 Vincetoxicum, Manch. 



Pentaqonium, Schauer. 



Blyttia, W. Am. 

 Haplostemma, Endl. 

 Oncinema, W. Am. 

 Orthosia, Dec. 

 Cynoctonum, E. Mey. 



Bunhuria, Harv. 

 Pycnoneurum, Dec. 

 Holostemma, R. Br. 



Solenostemma, Hayn. 



Argclia, Dec. 

 Arauja, Brot. 



Physianthits, Mart. 

 Schubertia, Mart. etZuc. 

 Calotropis, R. Br. 

 Eutropis, Falc. 

 Pentatropis, R. Br. 

 Kanahia, R. Br. 

 Sarcostemma, R. Br. 

 Oxystelma, R. Br. 

 Dsemia, R. Br. 

 Hockea, Endl. 

 Eustegia, R. Br. 

 Peplonia, Dec. 

 Decanema, Dec. 

 Endotropis, Endl. 

 Cynanchum, Linn. 

 Pentarrhinum, E. Mey. 

 Schizoglossum, E. Mey. 

 Glossonema, Dec. 



Conomitra, Fenzl. 

 Aspidoglossum, E. Mey. 

 Lagarinthus, E. Mey. 



Rhinolobium, W. Am. 

 Gomphocarpus, R. Br. 

 Asclepias, L. 



Apocynmn, Tourn. 

 Ditassa, R. Br. 

 Tassadia, Dec. 

 Calostigma, Dec. 

 Oxj-petalum, R. Br. 



Gothofreda, Vent. 



Schistogyne, Hook. etArn. 

 Melinia, Dec. 



Brachylepis, Hii. et A. 

 Sonninia, Rchb. 



Diplolepis, R. Br. 

 Morrenia, Lindl. 

 Turrigera, Dec. 

 Rhyssostelma, Dec. 

 Seutera, Reich. 



Lyonia, Ell. 



IV. GONOLOBE^. 



Matelea, Anbl. 



Hostea, Willd. 

 Gonolobus, Michx. 

 Ibatia, Dec. 

 Macroscepis, H.B. K. 

 Fischeria, DC. 

 Lachnostoma, H. B. K. 



Phcrotrichis, Dec. 

 Polystemma, Dec. 

 Blepharodon, Dec. 

 Nephradenia, Dec. 

 Dictyanthus, Dec. 

 Chtbamalia, Dec. 



V. STAPELr^. 



Ptycanthera, Dec. 

 Tenaris, E. Mey. 

 Tylophora, R. Br. 

 Hybanthera, Endl. 



