4. Streptocaulon.] 90. A8CLEPIDACEJE. 



i, STREPTOCAULON, W. ^ A. 



Twining or prostrate. Flowers small or minute in 3-cliotomons, 

 sometimes panicled cymes. Corolla rotate. Stamens free except at 

 the tips of the anthers which have inflexed membranous appendages 

 and connive over the stigma, pollinia 2 in each cell, granular ; inter- 

 posed teeth or glands between the lilaments. Corona at the base of 

 and adnate to the backs of the filaments, of linear or filiform scales. 

 Follicles terete, divaricate. 



1. S. sylvestre, Wight. 



A trailing herb with elliptic orbicular-ovate or orbicular, sub-sessile, 

 leaves 1-1 '5" long which lie closely adpressed to the soil, and pretty 

 little purple flowers 'S-'SS" diam. in small very shortly peduncled 

 pubescent axillary cymes. Follicles not seen. 



Sandy steep banks of rivers. Purneah ! Fl. April-May and also December. 



Branches 12-18" ]oug from a woody rootstock, somewhat pubescent. Juice 

 viscid milky. L. pubescent or tomentose beneath, base rounded or cordate, sec. n. 

 5-7 of which 1-2 near the base, rather strong- beneath. Calyx '05", lobes ovate. 

 Petals oblong. Coronal scales linear, white, with filiform tips. 



This is rather a rare plant, only previously collected apparently by Hamilton and 

 Clarke, neither of whose specimens nor mine own show fruit. The plant must not 

 be confused with Tylophora rotundifolia, which has a similar habit and also has 

 orbicular very shortly-petioled leaves. 



5. CALOTROPIS, Br. Swallow-wort. 

 Shrubs or undershrubs or stout herbs, rarely sub-arboreous, not 

 climbing. Leaves broad subsessile or short-petioled. Flowers large 

 or m.s. in umbelliform or siibracemose cymes. Sepals glandular with- 

 in. Corolla broadly campanulate or subrotate with broad valvate 

 lobes. Corolline corona 0. Staminal corona of 5 fleshy laterally com- 

 pressed sculptured processes radiating from the staminal column. 

 Anther-tips membranous inflexed, pollinia 1 in each cell, waxy, 

 flattened, pendulous (on a lower level than the corpuscle) attached to 

 the corpuscle by pedicels. Stigma depressed, 5-angled or -lobed. 

 Follicles short thick. 



Shrubs. Leaves subsessile :— 



Corolla uniformly coloured, lobes spreading 1, gigantea. 



Corolla white with jjurple blotch on the erect lobes . . . .2. jjroeera. 

 Herbaceous. Petiole sometimes attaining 1" : — 



Corolla-lobes erect 3. acia. 



1. C. gigantea, Br. Syn. Asclepias gigantea, Willd.; Palati, palti, 

 K., Uran; Akaona, /S. ; Akaon, Khariv.; Akanda, ^engf. ; Madar, 

 Akona, H. 



A stout hoary-tomentose shrub, or occasionally a small tree with 

 trunk 12" girth. L. large more or less obovate-oblong 4-8" long with 

 a cordate, often amplexicaul base. Flowers handsome reddish light- 

 purple or lilac or nearly blue, 1-5-2" diam., with spreading ovate- 

 lanceolate petals. Follicles 3-4" long and 1 -5" thick, recurved, obtuse. 



Frequent in open waste ground and sometimes sub-gregarious (as on islands in 

 the Mahanadi near Narsingpur), throughout the area. Fl. Dec- July. Fr. Feb.- 

 June. Evergreen. 



Branches and leaves beneath felted white-tomentose. Calyx-lobes short spread- 

 ing. Corolla-lobes revolute and twisted when old. Coronal processes \vith their 



550 



