324 LXXW APOCYNE^^. [LyOUSW. 



N, S. lATales. Peel's Kange, Fraser; St. George's Range, v^. CunningTiam ; between 

 (he Darling nad Lachlan rivers, Burkiit ; Mulanie and Barrier Ranges, Victorian Expedi- 

 tion ; Castlereagh river, C. Moore, 



Ordee LXXYI. ASCLEPIADEiE. 



, Flowers regular. Calyx free, divided nearly or quite to the base into 5 

 segments or sepals, imbricate in the bud, bcariiip; frequently 5 or more siricall 

 ghnuls at the base inside. Corolla regular, with 5 teeth or lobes, contorted 

 or valvate in the bud, with or without scales or appendages in the throat al- 

 ternating witli the lobes. Stamens 5, inserted at the base or Tiear the base 

 of the corolla, the filaments short, connate or rarely free, the anthers always 

 connate in a tube (called gijnostegium) enclosing tlie style ; anthers 2-celled, 

 or by the subdivision of the cells more or less completely 4-celled, the cells 

 opening inwards, the connectivum produced into a short, truncate or rarely 

 acute appendap, or more frequently terminating in an inflexed membrane; 

 corona consisting of variously shaped glandular membranous or fleshy appen- 

 dages attached to the back of the filaments or anthers, sometimes united in a 

 cup or ring, quite deficient in a few genera ; pollen consolidated into lor 3 

 masses in each cell of the ovary, attached (when the anther opens) in pairs or 

 in fours (1 or 2 from each of the adjoining anthers) to small processes of the 

 stigma placed between the anthers, and ultimately detached from the stigma 

 and carrying off" the pollen-masses, Ovary of 2 distinct carpels, with seve- 

 ral usually numerous ovules attached to the'inner angle ; styles united imme- 

 diately above the ovary, and thickened within the anthers into an angular body, 

 usually called the stigma, although not wholly stigmatic ; the summit ui the 

 centre either truncate or more or less proti'uding in a conical or elongated, 

 beak-like, entire or 2-lobed process. Fruit of °2 follicles or frequently 1 

 only from the abortion of the other carpel. Seeds usually pendulous, with n 

 long sdky tuft of hairs or coma at the hilum, compressed, often bordered ; 

 testa usually brown, smootli or rough; albumen thin; embryo straight; co- 

 tyledons foliaceous ; radicle short, superior.— Herbs, with a perennial, some- 

 tmies tuberous rootstock, or more or less woody slock, or shrubs or very 

 rarely trees. Stems or branches frequently twining; juice usually inilky- 

 Leaves almost always opposite, entire ; stipules none or verj- obscure. Flowers 

 often small, in racemes or cymes often redured to umbels, axilhuy or more 

 frequently on one side of the branch between tlie petioles. Bracts small, at 

 the base of the branches and pedicels ; bracteoles on the pedicels none or 



very rare and small. 



i 



