LXXXIIT. ASCLEPIADACE-1'\ 179 



25. CARALLUMA, E. Br. 



Succulent perennial branched aluiost leafless herbs ; stems usually 

 angled, thick and fleshy. Flowers in few- or many-flowered fascicles or 

 sessile umbels, at the base, apex, or along the sides of the stems between 

 the angles, pedicellate or subsessile. Calyx 5-partite. Corolla rotate or 

 broadly campanulate ; lobes 5, valvate in bud ; corona double, arising 

 from the staminal-columu, the outer corona annular or cupular, adnate 

 to the backs of the inner corona-lobes at their base or connected to them 

 by narrow partitions, 5-lobed, the lobes 2-cuspidate, the inner corona- 

 lobes incumbent on the backs of the anthers and not exceeding them, or 

 produced into erect connivent or recurved tips. Staminal column 

 short, arising from the bottom of the corolla ; anthers without append- 

 ages ; pollen-masses horizontal or ascending, 1 in each anther-cell, 

 pellucid along the inner margin or at the apex, attached to the pollen- 

 carriers in pairs by sliort rather slender caudicles. Style-apex truncate, 

 not exserted beyond the anthers. Follicles narrowly fusiform, linear- 

 terete or 3-gonous, smooth. Seeds comose. The genus Boucerosia, 

 Wight & Arn., has been included in this genus. — Distrib. Africa, Arabia, 

 India, South Europe ; species about 30. 



Corolla-lobes glabrous within 1. C. edulis. 



Corolla-lobes densely fimbriate within 2. C. Jimhriata. 



1. Caralluma edulis, Benth. Oen. PL v. 2 (1876) p. 782. Erect, 

 6-18 in. high ; stem and branches subterete, 4-grooved. Leaves 

 sometimes present on the young shoots, |-| in. long, linear, acute. 

 Flowers 1-4 together from the apex or the nodes of the stem, snhaxillary 

 when leaves are present ; pedicels g-| in. long. Calyx divided to the 

 base, glabrous ; sepals J^- in. long, ovate, acute, with membranous 

 margins. Corolla campanulate, purple inside, \ in. long, glabrous 

 within ; lobes \ in. long, ovate-lanceolate, acute ; outer corona 5-lobed, 

 each lobe produced into 2 distant subulate teeth ; lobes of the inner 

 corona tJ- in. long, linear, subacute. Pollen-masses subhorizontal, 1 in 

 each anther-cell, attached to the pollen-carriers by short slender caudicles. 

 Style-apex truncate, not exserted. Follicles not seen. Fl. B. I. v. 4, 

 p. 76; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1898) p. 168; Watt, Diet. 

 Econ. Prod. v. 2, p. 141. Boucerosia edulis^ Edgew. in Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. V. 6, p. 205, t. 1 ; Aitch. Pb. & Sind PI. p. 90.— Flowers : Sept. 

 A^ERN. Pippa ; Pippu. 



In the Bombay Presidency confined to Sind. Sind: Stocksl, BohelV. ; Jemadar ka 

 Landa near Karachi, Stocks, 533 ! ; Midir, (i miles from Karachi, Woodrow. 

 The plant is eaten as a vegetable. — Distkib. India (Panjab). 



2. Caralluma fimbriata, Wcdl. PI As. Ear. v. 1 (1830) p. 7, t. 8. 

 Erect, fleshy; stem difi:usely branched, 4-angled to the extremities. 

 Leaves present on the young shoots, minute, -^^ ^^- ^<^'^g' S'^^on falling and 

 leaving raised tooth-like points along the angles. Flowers terminal on the 

 ends of the branches or at the upper nodes, solitary or 2 or 3 together 

 on short pedicels. Calyx glabrous, divided to the base; lobes -^V ^"• 

 long, lanceolate, acute. Corolla rotate, nearly | in. across when ex- 

 panded, deeply divided; lobes i- ^ in. long, linear-oblong, subobtuse 

 with a long apiculus, purple, copiously fimbriate with long purple 

 flattened hairs ; outer corona-lobes linear-oblong in the basal part which 



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