738 Apocynaceae. — Asclepiadaceae. 
DC. Prodrom. VIII, p.390. — A shrub or small tree. Leaves crowded 
near the ends of the branches, oblong or elliptic-oblong, acute at 
both ends, or the tips subacuminate, 10—22 cm long, 5—8 cm 
broad, herbaceous,. quite glabrous; secondary nerves 25—40 on each 
side, horizontal in the lower, slightly oblique in the upper part: 
petiole puberulous, 2—5 cm long. Corymbs many-flowered, umbelli- 
form; peduncle 5—10 cm long, stout, puberulous; pedicels up te 
lem long. Calyx scarcely 2mm long. Corolla pink; tube 2 to 
8 mm long; lobes obovate-oblong, 2—21/, cm long. Follicles 8 in. 
long, 21/2 cm wide. Flow. December. 
N.d. Alexandria; Cairo often cultivated in gardens; Zaqaziq, 
subspontaneous. 
Probably a native of Central America; frequently cultivated in the Tropics. 
422. (4.) Nerium Linn. 
Calyx 5-parted, with linear-lanceolate lobes, glandular within. 
Corolla salver-shaped with 5-parted limb, and fringed crown pro- 
jecting from throat. Stamens inserted on the middle of corolla 
tube; anthers longer than filament, adherent by middle to stigma, 
sagittate at base, ending at apex in long, hairy, spirally twisted 
bristles. Style undivided, stigma obtuse. Jollicles 2, appressed, 
at length somewhat separate. Seeds numerous, hairy. — Shrubs 
with very showy, pink or white flowers, and milky juice. 
A small genus with a everywhere cultivated species. 
1043. Nerium Oleander L. Spec. Plant. 1 (1753), p.305. — 
Boiss. Flor. Or. IV, p.47. — Rehbch. Ic. XVUI, tab. 23. — Sicken- 
berg. Contrib. Flor. d’Eg., p. 258. — Aschers.-Schweinf. Ill. Flor. d’Kg.. 
p. 104 no. 578. — A shrub, 1—4 m high, clumped. Leaves opposite 
or ternate, leathery, oblong-lanceolate, minutely tomentellous beneath. 
Flowers corymbose-cymose; pedicels and calyx tomentellous; plume 
of anther scarcely overtopping throat of corolla. — Flow. October 
to May. 
D. a. mer. “Trovasi in piccoli gruppi nei burroni cho versono 
nel Golfo Berenice” (Figari Stud. Scientif. sull“Egitto I, p. 205). — 
Cultivated in all gardens of the whole country. 
Local name: difle. 
Everywhere common in the Mediterranean region. 
90. Asclepiadaceae. 
Flowers regular. Calyx free, divided nearly or quite to the 
base into 5 segments or sepals, imbricate in the bud, bearing fre- 
