154 Asclepiadece. {Gynmeina. 



ciliate; cor. nearly \ in. diam., lobes acute, recurved; follicles 

 nearly 3 in., linear, glabrous. 



Dry and intermediate regions; rare. Hanguranketa ; Nalande ; Anu- 

 radhapuia. Fl. Nov.-Feb.; yellow. 

 Endemic. 

 I doubt this being more than a large form of G. sylvestre. 



3. G-. lactlferum, Br. in Mem. Worn. Soc. i. 33 (181 1). Kurinnan, 



S. (S- T. 



Herm. Mus. 17. Burm. Thes. 24. Fl. Zeyl. n. in. Asclepias lactifera, 

 L. Sp. PI. 216. G. sey/anicujH, Decaisne, DC. Prod. viii. 622. Thw. Enum. 

 198. Wight, Contrib. 44. C. P. 2580. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 30. 



A straggling semi-twining shrub, stems rather stout, 

 glabrous, the younger branches often pubescent; 1. 2-4^ in., 

 oval, acute at base, acuminate, acute, glabrous or slightly 

 pubescent on the veins beneath, rather thick, petiole i-f in., 

 pubescent; fl. pedicellate, cymes umbellate, shortly stalked, 

 roundish; cal.-segm. broadly oval, rounded, pubescent, margins 

 more or less membranous; cor. about \ in. diam., lobes acute, 

 finely ciliolate ; follicles (.'' ripe) 2i in., by | in. wide, oblong- 

 ovoid, blunt. 



Van /3, Thwaitesii, Hk.f. I. c. C. P. 1847. 



Leaves softly pubescent beneath. 



Low country up to 3000 ft., rather common in the moist region, rare in 

 the dry districts. Summit of Ritigala, N. C. Prov. Var. /3, Colombo ; 

 Maturata. Fl. July-Nov.; yellow. 



Also in Khasia and Malaya. Not in Peninsular India. 



The Fl. B. Ind. quotes C. P. 2549 instead of C. P. 1847 for var. /3 (as 

 to which see G. sylvcstre). Var. IVa/ke^i, Hk. f., I have not seen, nor 

 does it seem from description to differ from the type materially. This is 

 the ' Cow-plant ' of Ceylon, of which many fables have been written,* 

 based on the erroneous observation of Hermann that its milky latex is 

 a substitute for the milk of the cow. He calls it ' Kirianghuna,' which is 

 usually now applied to Dregea To/udilzs. Moon does not appear to have 

 known it. The leaves are believed to increase the secretion of milk, and 

 are given as a vegetable after child-birth. 



4. Cr. perg'ularioides, IV/if/ii &^ Gardti. in Thw. Enum. 198 

 (i860). 



Cynanchum cuspidatu7n, Thunb. Obs. in Cynanch. 5 (.''). Bidaria pe) - 

 gularioides, Thw. Enum. 198. C. P. 2671. 

 Y\. B. Ind. iv. 32. 



A twining shrub, branches much elongated, slender, hairy; 

 1. 2-4 in., oblong-ovate, rounded at base, much acuminate, sub- 

 acute, glabrous or slightly pubescent on both sides, thin, pale 

 beneath, with conspicuous venation, petiole i in., slender; fl. 

 on short nearly glabrous pcd., cymes umbellate, globose, 



* See Tennent, 'Ceylon,' i. pp. loi, 102, foot-note. 



