90. ASCLEPIDACEJE. [15. Gymnema. 



umbels from the nodes or terminal. Corolla rotate with broad lobes. 

 Corona cnp-shaped adnate to the base of the column, 10-lobed or 

 -crenate, the lobes opposite to the stamens bearing large fleshy 

 processes adnate to the backs of the anthers. Column short. 

 Anther-tip inflexed. Pollinia 1 in each cell, pendulovis, slender, 

 waxy. 



1. S. brevistigma, Wight. Kulu-tuar, K. 



A usually leafless jointed shrub 2-3 ft. high with green straggling 

 branches, or sometimes trailing over bushes and attaining 6 ft. 

 Flowers white waxy fragrant "4" diam. very pretty, in umbels at the 

 ends of the branches but not really terminal. 



Usually on arid rocks. Ranchi (Horhap forest) ! Singbhum ! Puri ! Fl. 

 Sept.-Jan. 



It bears small linear-oblong leaves •25-'7o" long in the rainy season. Umbels 

 with a hoary curly minute pubescence, usuallj' sessile. Pedicels •3-*5". Petals with 

 revolute margins, sometimes creamy-white. Column very short with the inner 

 coronal processes pure white almost concealing the anthers, the column with the 

 processes being flat-topped. Follicles (not seen hj me) slightly diverging, tliiuly 

 coriaceous, narrowed to the base. 



The milk is used in the same way as that of Calofropis ; it is said to be '" very 

 powerful " (the name signifies tiger's milk) ; it is probably a rank poison ! 



±i. SARCOLOBUS, Br. 



Twiners Avith small crowded axillary cymose flowers. Corolla 

 campanulate-rotate, petals overlapping to the right. Corona 0. 

 Column very short, anthers marginate with inflexed, not con- 

 spicuously membranous tip, between the radiating walls of the 

 column. Pollinia 1 in each cell erect with twisted pedicels. Follicles 

 thick fleshy globose or oblong. Seeds large without a coma. 



1. S. carinatus, Wall. 



A small twiner with brown exfoliating bark on the stems. L. 

 rather fleshy, broadly elliptic or oblong or narrowly elliptic on the 

 same branch, pale beneath, with 3-5 sec. n. and green, not raised, 

 reticulations. Flowers •35" diam. green or pale yellow with rotate 

 corolla prettily marked with irregular purple radiating lines. Fruit 

 (not seen on my specimens) 3", curved, beaked, with narrow undu- 

 late keels, pale yellow, fleshy. 



Mahanadi delta ! Fl. April-Aug. 



My specimens have leaves only 1" long- narrowed at the base into a -2" long 

 petiole; other specimens show leaves up to 2", and Griffith {Nutidce, j). 53) says 

 '"leaves with subcordate base," but none of the Calcutta Herb, specimens show 

 this. Peduncle very short, pedicels minutely Ijracteolate at base. Sepals oblong 

 obtuse '07". Pet. broadly ovate-oblong rounded. Anthers sessile. 



Griffith says that a violent poison is produced from the seed (m Malacca). 



2. S. globosus, Wall., which is common in the Sunderbans, is also likely to be 

 found in the Mahanadi delta. It has leaves 3-4" long, anthers shortly stipitate 

 and globose fruits 4" diam. 



15. GYMNEMA, Br. 



Twining shrubs or suffruticose, with small flowers in umbelliform 

 cymes. Corolla sub-rotate, campanulate or urceolate with thick 

 twisted lobes, subvalvate or narrowly overlapping to the right. 

 Corona or coroUine of fleshy processes on the throat produced 



555 



