15. Gymnbma.] 90. ASCLEPIDACE^. 



downwards on the tube as double villoiis ridges. Column short, 

 anther tips membranous, poUinia very minute, erect, subsessile on 

 the corpuscle. Stigma large, conical or domed, projecting beyond 

 the anther tips. Follicles slender acuminate. 



Coronal processes with fleshj^ apices protruding above the throat. 

 Leaves piibescent : — 



Flowers under '1'' long. L. pubescent 1. sylvestre. 



Flowers •12--13" long. L. tomentose beneath , . . ,2. hirsutum. 

 Throat naked. Leaves glabrous 3. tingens. 



1. G. sylYestre, Br. Syn. G. hirsvitum, W. & A. ? Merasingi, If. 



A rather slender Avoody climber wdth densely, often yellow- 

 pubescent or hirsute branchlets, broadly elliptic oblong or ovate 

 often cordate-based leaves 1-2" rarely 3" long, more or less pubescent 

 especially on the nerves beneath and usually thinly hairy also above, 

 at least when young. Fls. minute, "1" long (Avhen petals are erect) 

 and •12-'15" diam., yellow, campanulate wdth rotate limb, in hairy 

 peduncled vimbelliform cymes about •4--5" long with the peduncle. 

 Follicles usually solitary 2-3* by •2-'3" near base, gradually tapering 

 from base to tip. Seeds '3". 



Shahabad ! Gaya Ghats ! Palamau ! Tundi Hillg, Manbhum, Camp. ! Khurda, 

 Pari ! It is fairlj' frequent in the Kaimur (Shahabad) Hills but not common 

 elsewhere. Fl. Aug. -Sept. Fr, Jan. -March. 



L. with 2-.5 sec. n. of which 1 is usually from near the base, tip sometimes 

 suddenly acute, petiole *l-"4" long densely pubescent. Sepals ovate or l)roadly 

 oblong, hairy, margin membranous. Corolla •06-"09" long with lobes about as long 

 as the tube, minutely ciliate. Corona with small fleshy callosities projecting above 

 the sinuses of the corolla. 



There has recently been a demand for this plant. Tt contains a principle called 

 gymnemic acid, soluble in water. The leaves have a bitterish astringent slightly 

 acid taste, and some time ago it was found that if chewed they have the property 

 of destroying the taste for saccharine substances. Mr. Hooper more lately found 

 that they destroyed the taste of bitter substances like (piinine,* though Cooke says 

 that in his own case he could not confirm this. 



2. G. hirsutum, W. <^ A. 



Said to be much stouter than the last with broader more ovate and 

 cordate leaves, softly pubescent on both surfaces and with shorter 

 thicker petioles. The cymes are also more sessile with umbellate 

 stout shorter pedicels and larger floAvers •11--13" long and •2--24" 

 diam. 



Shahabad, Rotas, J.D.H. ! 



I am unable to distinguish Hooker' is specimen from a form of G. sylvestre w'hich 

 is often very densely tomentosely pubescent. It is in fruit and the flowers have 

 not been seen, though I have collected true fi/lcenfre from the same locality. 



3. G. tingens, JF. c^ A. 



A nearly or quite glabrous climber with membranous ovate to 

 oblong, acuminate or caudate leaves 3-6" long, base sub-cordate, 

 sec. n. 4-5 distinct. Petiole -S-IS". FloAvers pale yellow, -25" diam., 

 on thinly pubescent slender pedicels '4" long. Peduncles •4-*5" long. 

 Sepals -04", corolla-tube pubescent -1", and lobes "l". " Follicles 4" by 

 1", ovate-lanceolate, spreading, smooth fleshy," Roxh. 



Monghyr, Ham. {Wallich's No. 8190a) ! 

 ■* Paper read at a meeting of the Nilgiri Nat. Hist. Soc, Ootacamund, March, 1887. 



556 



