90. ASCLEPIDAGEM. 



bricate. Corolla-lobes valvate or overlapping to the right, very 

 rarely to the left, tube or throat often with a corona of scales, pro- 

 cesses or hairs (coroUine corona). Stamens at the base of the corolla, 

 sometimes free, but more usually connate into a fleshy column in- 

 vesting the pistil excejpt the top of the stigma and usually bearing 

 dorsal processes collectively termed the staminal corona ; anthers at 

 the top of the coltimn, connate or free, adnate to the stigma and the 

 tip often produced into a membrane appressed to or inflexed over the 

 stigma; the pollen forms 1 or 2 masses {pollinia) in each anther cell, 

 and these pollinia are united to a minute corjpuscle between the 

 anthers in such a way that the pollinium or pollinia of the left-hand 

 lobe of one anther is connected to the same corpuscle as the pollinium 

 or pollinia of the right-hand lobe of the next anther*" ; the corpuscle 

 is attached to the swollen top of the style or side of the stigma. 

 Carpels 2 distinct, styles 2 short, united in the large stigma,t which is 

 usually 5-angled and included between the anthers or produced 

 beyond them into a simple or 2-fid column. Fruit of 2 (-1) follicles. 

 Seeds compressed, usually flat margined or winged and with a coma 

 (exc. Sarcolobus). Albumen copious. Embryo large, cotyledons flat, 

 radicle short inferior. 



I, Filaments free. Pollinia grranular, 2 in each cell (Periploceae) : — 



A. Corona coralline. Twiners : — 



Corolla very small, rotate, purple, lobes valvate . . 1. Hemidesmus, 

 Corolla small or in. s., rotate, greenish, lohes overlapping 2. Cryptolepsit. 

 Corolla large, subcampanulate, purple . . . .3. Cryptostegia. 



B. Corona staminal. Prostrate herb (in our species) . . 4. Streptocaidon. 

 II. Filaments connate into a tube. Pollinia waxy, 1 in each 



cell :— 

 A. Anthers with a membranous tip. Pollinia of ten pedicelled 

 (Euasclepiade^e) : — 

 1. Pollinia pendulous from the corpuscle : — 



a. Erect, leafy :— 



Coronal processes spreading fleshy sculptured . 5. Calotropis. 

 Coronal processes erect spathulate . . . .6. Asclepias. 



b. Twiners, or suberect (12), or erect and leafless (13) : — 



i. Corona double. Flowers large or m.s.J :— 



L. narrow, deciduous. Corolla large. Follicles 



smooth 7. Oxystelma. 



L. broad. Inner corona with long appendages. 



Follicles echinate 8. Pergularia. 



ii. Corona single staminal, processes discrete : — 



Corolla campanulate, large, white . . .9. Raphistemma. 

 Corolla rotate, small, purplish .... 10. Fentatropis, 

 iii. Corona single staminal, processes united into a 

 lobed or toothed ring or cup : — 

 * Leafy twiners (or sub-erect in Cynauchiim) : — 

 Flowers large. Corona with 5 horny processes. 



Follicles terete 11. Holostemma. 



Flowers small. Follicles keeled or winged , 12. Cynanchiim. 

 ** Erect . or straggling leafless shrubs, branches 



fleshy 13. Sarcostemma. 



* By removing carefully the usually hard dark-coloured corpuscle the pollinia 

 can usually be withdrawn from the anther cell on either side. 



+ The enlarged portion is probably the swollen top of the combined styles, for 

 brevity referred to as the stigma. The stigma proper is on the top and centre of 

 this swelling. 



t See also note under " 11. Holostemma," p. 554. 



36 547 



