J 



332 Lxxvi. ASCLEPiABE^. [Cynauchutn, 



short, oLtuse, truncate or minutely 2-lobed.— Herbs with tmuing, trailin|ror 

 rarely erect steins. Leaves herbaceous, cordate, usually several-nerved at die 

 base. Flovi^'ers in the Australian species in loose irrei^ular cymes rarely con- 

 tracted into umbels (in other species usually umbellate), on solitary iiitcr- 

 petiolar peduncles. 



The geaus, as limited l)y Decaisne, is coufiued to the Old World, exteiidiag as far as tlie 

 Mediterraneau regioa of Europe. The Australian species are all endemic. Decaisne, who 

 had no opportunity of examining any speciuieus, thought, from Brown's short characters, 

 that they should be rather referred to Cynoctonum, hut the Cfiorihnndam and C. peduneu- 

 latum have the inner lobes of the corona characteristic of Cynanchum very prominent, la 

 C, eruhesceiis they are considerably reduced, thus almost counectiug the two genera, but jel 

 sufficiently conspicuous to retain the species in Cynanchum, 



Corona-lobea 10, truncate or crenulate, not exceeding the anthers, 



and 10 inner scarcely prominent keels 1, C. eruhescens. 



Corona-lobes 20, subulate- ac urn I u ate, much exceeding the anthers. 



No stipule-like leaves 2. C.floribundum. 



Corona-lobes 20, 10 short obtuse denticulate or 'partially aciiininate', 

 and 10 inner rather longer acuminate keels. A pair of stinule- 

 like leaves usually at the base of the petioles. 



Ulabrous or the inflorescence minutely pubescent 3. C. peduncuhhm. 



V\ hole plant softly pubescent 4. 6*. puheruhnu 



1. C. eru"bescens, R. Br. Prod. 4G3. A twiner, sM^M)' pubesceut, 



■ especially the young shoots and inflorescence, the adult foliage usually gla- 

 brous. Leaves petiolate, ovate, deeply cordate with broad rounded auncle?, 

 acute 1 to 3 in. long. Flowers having sometimes, but not always, a sli^J' 

 reddish tint, in rather loose cymes, the peduncles not much exceeding the 

 petioles Calyx pubescent, the segments ovate, almost acute, scarcely 1 1^'! 

 long. Corolla pubescent outside, glabrous inside, shortly exceeding the 

 calyx, veiy deeply divided into ovate lobes. Corona loosely plicate, not ex- 

 ceeding the anthers, the margins shortly 10-lobed, 5 lobes alternating ffi'J 

 the anthers rather longer than the others, thin, truncate or crenulate, each 

 lined with 2 slightly prominent inner keels, 5 opposite the anthers thickened 

 mside, but scarcely or shortly produced into distinct lamince. Tolhcles 

 rather broad, acuminate, with prominent almost winged angles, about 2 u- 

 iohg.~ tynoctonum erubescens, Dene, in DC. Prod. viii. 529. 



D^hir''^'^^^' ■^'"'^^^'"""^ "^'"' -^«»^-^ ^'^d Solander, R. Brown ; Eockingliam Bay, 



2. C. floribundtim, R. Br. Prod. 463. Erect or the branches some- 

 times slightly flexuose or twining, the inflorescence and sometimes the foliag« 

 tooary-pubescent, the older leaves usually glabrous. Leaves on rather long f 



loles, cordate, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, 1 to 2 in. long. Cymes rather 

 <^2 'T\ contracted to uu.bels. Calyx-segments ovate-lanceolate, acut^- 

 Coi^n'.lir T^ •"• ,^?- Corolla deeply didded into lobes of 2 to 3 luie=. 

 f W, nf 'k? { tr^'^^ ^"^° 20 subulate-acuminate lobes exceeding the an- 

 rill %nl^'f .1° ''f' ^^'^^ P^'-^'"^^I to the gvnostegium, and 10 niuer t 

 bet ?nff ^^'" • ^™"S prominent keels. "Polleir-masses oblong. Foh 

 he es fu iforni^ acuminate, more or less winged, 1 to 2 in. Xoxs^.-Gpoctonm 

 fonbundum, Dene, in DC. Prod. viii. 529. 



N. Australia. Kichol Bay, N.W. coast, Greffcy's E.pedUion. 



