III.] 



ASCLEPIADA CEAi. 



241 



A Family of peculiar botanical ' interest, on account of 

 the remarkable structure of the essential organs of the 

 flower. 



Observe the stamens cohering around the pistil and the 

 five lobes, alternating with and exterior to the stamens, 

 forming what is termed the corona : the pollen of each 

 anther-cell cohering into a single mass {pollen-mass), the 

 pollen-masses of the adjoining cells of distinct anthers 

 united in pairs to the stigma : in a few Indian genera 

 {Seca?none, Toxocarpus) the anthers are four-celled, so that 

 there are twenty pollen-masses, four to each anther : the 

 carpels, as in the Dogbanes, with free ovaries cohering to 

 form a single style and stigma : the silky coma of the ripe 

 seeds, contained in follicular fruits. 



The milk of the Mudar is in repute in native medicine, 

 and the fibre of its bark is valuable for textile purposes. 

 Hemidesvius affords the so-called Indian Sarsaparilla, and 

 a Marsdenia a very tenacious fibre. Several species are 

 favourite garden flowers, especially the Step/ia?iolus of 

 Madagascar, and the species of Iloya. In the Indian and 

 Australian climbing and creeping genus Dischidia the 

 leaves are sometimes converted into pitchers. 



