156 LXXXIII. ASCLEPIADACE.'E. 



n. Ceyl. V. 3, p. 150; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, p. 234; Woodr. in 

 Journ/Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1898) p. 167 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 3, 

 p. 3. — Flowers : Aug.-Jan. Veen. Utarni. 



A common weed. Konkan : N. Konkan, Dalzell ^ Gibson ; common on the bushes 

 among rocks on Malabar hill, Bombay, Graham. Dhccan : Poona, liaoji I, Woodrow ! 

 S. M. Country: Belganm, Eitchie, 1863!; Badami, Bhival Gujarat: Datell ^~ 

 Gibson. SiND : Tata district, Bhola Puran ! — Distrib. Throughout India in tho 

 hotter parts ; Ceylon, Afghanistan. 



The stems yield a fine fibre which does not, however, seem to be of commercial 

 importance. The plant has emetic and expectorant properties, and a decoction of the 

 leaves is employed in some infantile complaints. See Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. c. 



11. HOLOSTEMMA, E. Br. 



Twining glabrous shrubs. Leaves opposite, cordate. Flowers birge, 

 purple within, in sublateral lax few-flowered pedunculate cymes. Calyx 

 5-partite, not glandular inside ; segments ovate. Corolla thick, sub- 

 rotate, deeply 5-fid ; lobes overlapping to the right; corona arising 

 from the base of tbe staminal-column and adnate thereto, annuhir, fleshv, 

 truncate. Staminal-column arising from the base of the corolla; 

 filaments connate ; anther-wings large, decurrent to the base of the 

 column ; pollen-masses 1 in each cell, elongate, compressed, pendulous 

 by a long caudicle from an attenuated apex. tStyle-apex scarcely 

 umbonate. Follicles slender, cylindric, slightly tapering. — Distkib. 

 East Indies; species 1. 



1. Holostemma Rheedianum, Spreng. iSyst. v. 1 (1825) p. 851. 

 A large glabrous twining shrub ; stems much-branched, glabrous, 

 shining. Leaves 3-5 by 2-3 in., thick, ovate-oblong, acuminate, glabrous 

 above, more or less pubescent (especially on the nerves) and retieulatelv 

 veined beneath, base deeply cordate, with rounded lobes, often with a 

 few small glands at the base of the midrib above ; petioles 1-2 in. long, 

 stout, glabrous. Flowers fragrant, edible, purplish-crimson inside, 

 frosted-white or pale-pink outside, in sublateral few-flowered cymes ; 

 peduncles 1-2 in. long, arising close to the base of the petiole outside 

 the leaf-axil ; pedicels as long as the peduncles. Calyx divided nearly 

 to the base ; segments i in. long, broadly ovate, obtuse, veined. Corolla 

 subrotate, divided about f of the way down ; lobes ^ ^y § ^^•' o'\'''>'te- 

 oblong, obtuse, overlapping to the right ; corona arising from the base 

 of the staminal-column, consisting of a fleshy truncate ring J^^ in. high. 

 Anthers large, with large stiff wings and with membranous tips inflexed 

 over the column; pollen-masses -^^ in. long, waxy, compressed, linear- 

 clavate, slightly curved, pendulous from the linear pollen-carriers by 

 black caudicles J^ in. long. Follicles 4-5 by ^ in., lineai'-oblong, 

 cylindric, slightly tapering to a blunt point. JSeeds ^ in. long, oblong, 

 very thin, much flattened, somewhat truncate and not crenate at the 

 base ; con)a |-1 in. long. Holostemma liheedei, Wall. Cat. (1828) 4409 ; 

 Hook. f. Fl. B. I. V. 4, p. 21; Grab. Cat. p. 121; Dalz. & Gibs. 

 p. 148; Wight, Icon. t. 597 (the corona shewn incorrectly arising from 

 the corolla); Trim. Fl. Cevh v. 3, p. 150; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, 

 p. 235; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1898) p. 1G7; Watt, 

 Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 4, p. 261. — Flowers : July-Aug. Veex. 'fultull ; 

 Shidodi. 



Konkan : StocJis^ !, Law ! ; common in hedges about Bombny, Dahcll ^- Gibson ; 



