APOCYNACEAE. 



[Vol. Iir. 





tly'. 



21?,. 



1753- 



2. VINCA L. Sp. PI. 209. 1753. 

 Erect or trailing herbs, some species slightlj- wood}-, with opposite leaves, and large soli- 

 tary blue i^ink or white axillary flowers. Calj'x 5-parted, the segments narrow, acuminate. 

 Corolla salverform, the tube cylindric, or expanded above, pubescent within, the lobes con- 

 volute, at least in the bud, obli<iue. Stamens included. Disk of 2 glands, alternate with the 

 2 carpels. Ovules several in each carpel; style filiform; stigma annular, its apex penicillate. 

 Follicles 2, erect or spreading, cylindric, several-seeded. Seeds oblong-cylindric, truncate 

 at each end, not appendaged. [The Latin name.] 

 About 1 2 species, one native of tropical America, 

 occurring in Florida, the others of the Old World. 



I. Vinca minor L. Periwinkle. 

 Myrtle. (Fig. 289+.) 



I'iiica Minor I,. Sp. PI. 209. 1753. 



Perennial, trailing, glabrous; stems 6'-2° 

 long. Leaves oblong to ovate, entire, firm, 

 green both sides, obtuse or acutish at the apex, 

 narrowed at the base, short-petioled, i'-2}4' 

 •long, %'-i' wide; flowers not numerous, solitar}- 

 in some of the axils, blue, 9"-i5" broad; pe- 

 duncles slender, ji'-lli' long; calyx very 

 deeply parted, the segments subulate-lanceolate, 

 glabrous, about lyi' long; corolla-tube expanded 

 above, as long as or slightly longer than the ob- 

 ovate, nearly truncate lobes; anther-sacs with a 

 broad connective; follicles few seeded. 



Escaped from gardens to roadsides and woods, On- 

 tario to southern New York and New Jersey. Native 

 of Europe. Leaves sliining. Also called Running 

 Myrtle. Feb.-May. 



3. APOCYNUM L. Sp. PL ..^. 



Perennial branching herbs, with opposite entire leaves, and small white or pink flowers 

 in terminal and sometimes axillary corymbed cymes. Calyx jparted, the segments acute. 

 Corolla campanulate, the tube bearing within 5 small triangular appendages alternate with 

 the stamens, the limb 5-lobed. Stamens inserted on the base of the corolla; anthers sagit- 

 tate, counivent around the stigma and slightly adherent to it. Disk 5-lobed. Ovary of 2 

 carpels; ovules numerous in each carpel; stigma ovoid, obtuse, obscurely 2-lobed. Follicles 

 slender, elongated, terete. Seeds numerous, small, the apex tipped with a long coma. 

 [Greek, dog-bane.] 



About S species, of the north temperate zone. 

 Branches divergent; corolla-tube longerthan the calyx, its lobes revolute. i. A. androsaemifolium. 

 Branches erect or ascending; corolla-tube not longer than the calyx, its lobes nearly erect. 



Leaves and cymes glabrous or somewhat pubescent. 



Leaves petioled, narrowed at base, or the lower obtuse or subcordate. 2. A. cannabinum. 

 Leaves mostly cordate-clasping or obtuse atthe base, nearly sessile. 3. A. hypericifolium. 



Whole plant, including the cymes, densely pubescent. 4. A. pubescens. 



I. Apocynum androsaemifolium L. 



Spreading Dogbane. Houey-blooin. 

 (Fig. 2S95.) 



Apocynum androsaemifolium L. Sp. PI. 213. 1753. 



Rootstock horizontal; stem i°-4° high; branches 

 broadly spreading, mostly glabrous. Leaves 

 ovate or oval, acute or obtuse and mucronate at 

 the apex, rounded or narrowed at the base, gla- 

 brous above, pale and usually more or less pubes- 

 cent beneath, 2'-Y long, \'-2yi' wide; petioles 

 2"-^" long; cymes loose; pedicels 2"-^" long, 

 subulate-bractcd at the base; flowers about 4" 

 broad; calyx-segments shorter than the tube of 

 the pinkish corolla; corolla-lobes revolute; fol- 

 licles about 4' long, narrowed at the apex. 



In fields and thickets, Anticosti to British Colum- 

 bia, south to Georgia, Nebraska and Arizona. As- 

 cends to 3500 ft. in Virginia. Called also Bitter-root. 

 June-July. 



