330 LXXVI. ASCLEPIAUEJ] [Peutalropk, 



Follicles 5 to 6 in. long, acuminate. — RliyncharrJiena q^innquepartUa^ P. 

 Muell. Fragin. i. 128. 



W. S. "Wales. Desert of the Murray and Darliug rivers, Ballachj ; tributaries of 

 the Upper Darling river, Bowman. 



5. VINCETOXICUM, Mceucli. 



Corolla nearly rotate, deeply divided into 5 lobes contorted in the biul, the 

 right-hand edges usually overlapping. Corona simple, of 5 membranous 

 erect segments, either distinct from the base or (in species not Australian) 

 united in a lobed cup encircling the gynostegiura. Anthers terminatuig ina 

 memLrane. Pollen-masses 3 to each anther, pendulous, but sometimes late- 

 rally attached below tlie top. Stigma sliort, obtuse, truncate or minutely 2- 

 lobcd. — Herbs, with twining trailing or rarely erect stems. Leaves herba- 

 ceous or rarely somewhat fleshy. Peduncles interpetiular, bearing 3 or more 

 umbels or an irregular cyme, or rarely a single umbcL . 



The genus is widely dispersed over the temperate as well as the warmer regions of tlie 

 globe, hut the Australian species are all endemic. They belong to a section which has beea 

 proposed as a geims, under the names of Bhjitla ani^i'llaplosiemma, distinguished by the 

 corona being divided quite to the base instead of bein^ lobed only, but the separatiou is 

 neither natural nor yet has any relation to greographieardistribution, for the sectioa would 

 include V.fruticiilosam and 7. sibiricum. Tiie whole genus is very closely allied to Cp^' 

 ionum and Cynanchim, being distinguished from the latter by the "want of any iuuer lobes 

 to the corona, and from botli by the more deeply lobed or 5-partite corona. 



Corona-segments nearly as long as the gynostegium, truncate, obtuse or 

 scarcely acuminate. Leaves ovate or ovate-Ian ceolatej sometimes cor- 

 date, membranous , . . . 1- ^' ovaium. 



Corona-scgraents abruptly acuminate, tie point short, curved over the 



gynostegium. Corolla-lobes ovate-lanceolate. Leaves ovate, slightly 



fleshy ^ \ . . 2. r. elegans. 



Corona-segments tapering into erect points shortly exceeding"the gyno- 

 stegium. Corolla-lobes narrow, acuminate. Leaves oblons or linear, 

 slightly fleshy . • . 3- l^- carnosum, 



Coroua-segmeuts with slender points more than twice as long'as the . 



gyuostegmm. Leaves cordate-ovate, acuminate, membranous . . . 4. F. leptoiep - 



1. V. ovatum, Benth. A ratlier slender twiner, glabrous or the inflo- 

 rescence minutely pubescent. Leaves on slender petioles, ovate, obtuse, 

 acute or shortly acuminate, rounded or cordiite at tbe base, 1 to 3 or rarj? 

 3 m. long. Umbels usually 2 at some distance from each other on a slen^^ 

 peduncle, the flowers often exceediu<r the leaves. Pedicels 3 to 6 haes lon^,^- 

 Calyx-segments aI)out 1 line long, oVale, thin. Corolla spreading to about 

 hues diameter, deeply divided into narrow ovate lobes. Corona-segnieni 

 very broad, almost orbicular, obtuse or very shortly acuminate, rather stiorit 

 than the anthers, shortly adnate at the base along the centre. Pollen-aias.e 

 small, obovoid. 



Qneeaslaud. Brisbane river. P. Mueller; Rockhampton, ffS/ianes:/, Thozei ; Table 

 Mouutam, Bowman ^ Mogill scrub, C. Stuart. 



V. ele-ans^ Benth. A tall dabrous twiner. Leaves on 



slender 



petioles, ovate, acute or mucronate, not^cordate, rather fleshy (Jf^oolh) V^^K' 

 veined, 1 to 3 in. long, the upper ones sometimes nanwv. Flowers iew, 



