90. ASCLEPIDACE^. [3. Cryptostegia. 



2. CRYPTOLEPIS, Br. 



Twining shrubs. Flowers small or mod.-sized in lax terminal or 

 axillary cymes. Jalyx with 5 scales within. Corolla with short 

 cylindric or campanulate tube and narrow lobes overlapping and 

 twisted to the right. Corona corolline, of 5 linear or clavate con- 

 niving scales at about the middle of the tube. Filaments svibconnate 

 at their broad bases, anthers with conniving acuminate tips, pollinia 

 cohering in pairs in each cell, granular with oblong appendages. 

 Stigma broadly conic. Follicles divaricate, terete. 



Corolla 7" diam.. sepals acute. Follicles 2-4" \. Buchanani. 



Corolla 1-1-5" diam. Sepals obtuse. Follicles 5-8" .... 2. elegans. 



1. C. Buchanani, Rcem. Utri dudhi, S. ; Dudhla lar, Kharw. ; Kar- 



anta, H. ; Gar, Or. 



A large tAvining shrub with glabrous oblong or elliptic leaves 

 shining above and very pale-glaucous beneath, 3"5" long, l"5-2'5" 

 wide, Avith veiy numerous slender nearly horizontal sec. n. united 

 within the margin. Flowers pale yellow about '7" diam. in lax often 

 panicled cymes with opposite divaricate fleshy branches constricted 

 at the nodes. Sepals ovate acute '1". Follicles poniard-shaped 

 2*5-4" long, '5- "75" diam. in middle. 



Common throughout the area. Fl. May- June. Fr. Dec.-Feb. Evergreen. 



Bark brown in old stems peeling off in large very thin strips. Milky juice very 

 copious. L. rarely up to 6" long, base and tip rounded or base subacute and tip 

 cuspidate, nervules reticulate. " Petioles •3--Q". Cymes usually 1-2" long and 

 broad, pedicels -12". Cor. -tube •1-'12", lobes "S" linear-lanceolate. Coronal scale* 

 clavate fleshj'. Pollinia very minute, linear. 



Campbell says that the milk is given to nursing mothers. This is apparently 

 suggested to the Santals by the milky juice, species of Euphorbia being similarly- 

 used. 



2. C. elegans, Wall. 



Leaves smaller than in the last, 2-5-3-5" with rounded apex tipped 

 by a small cusp, sec. n. not very close nor as parallel as in C. Buchanani. 

 Petioles very slender •2-"5" long. Cymes with long peduncles and 

 two long slender branches, few-flowered, pedicels slender. Flowers 

 "yellow 1-1-5" diam.," F.B.I. Sep. ovate obtuse. Follicles slender 

 5-8" long, divaricate. 



Orissa, JSeyne (but possibly in Madras). Aiigul, B. K. Chattarjee ! In young- 

 fruit in November. 



3. CRYPTOSTEGIA, Br. 



Large climbers Avith large flowers in terminal 3-chotomous cymes. 

 Sepals lanceolate. Corolla campanulate Avith a short basal tubular 

 portion, lobes broad, overlapping and tAvisted to the right. Corona 

 corolline at base of the throat, subulate, entire or 2-cleft. Anthers 

 acute, pollinia 2 in each cell, granular Avith subspathulate appendages. 

 Stigma convex. Follicles thick, divaricate, hard, 3-winged. 



1. C. gFandiflora, Br. 



A scrambling glabrous shrub with elliptic obtuse coriaceous shining 

 leaves 3-4" long and large, light purple floAvers 1-5-2" diam. 

 ■Rather frequent in gardens. FL, h.s. and r.s. NatiA^e of Africa, 



549 



