17. Marsdenia.] 90. ASCLEPIDACE^. 



1. M. tenacissima, W. (Sf A. Jiti, Chiti, Siti,Kharic., H. ; KongSit,S. ; 



Marawi, Th. ; Gha, Or. 



A stout very tough-stemmed twiner Avitli very milky juice, all 

 parts densely softly pvibescent or tomentose. Leaves velvety to 

 touch both sides, broadly ovate, suddenly shortly acuminate or 

 cuspidate, 4-7" by 3-5" with deeply cordate base. Flowers green 

 sub-campanulate with erect lobes '3" long or with spreading lobes 

 and "3" diam., in corymbosely-branched tomentose cymes 2-4" diam. 

 which are sessile or very-shortly peduncled. Follicles 4*5-5" long by 

 1-2-1 •4" diam. thickest about one-third the way from base, velvety. 



Usuall.y in the dryer hill tracts. Champaran. Sameshwar Hills ! Rajmahal Hills^ 

 S.P. ! Tundi Hills, Manl)hum ! Palamau and Hazaribaffh, frequent in scrub 

 jungles! Singbhum, rare! Angul Hills! Fl. April-June. Fr. Jan.-March, 

 Deciduous. 



Stems often -5" thick, permanently pubescent or puberulous. Leayes about 3" by 

 2'5" only at flowering time, adult sometimes 9" by 8'5" with nerves beneath and 

 upper surface permanently softly pubescent, principal nerves 5-7, sec, n. on 

 midrib usually only 1-2. Petiole I'o-S". Calyx -lo-'lG long with ellipsoid segments. 

 Corolla lobes nearly as long as tube, broadly-oblong rounded, pubescent outside, 

 glabrous within. Column "IS" long, stahiinal corona with erect linear-oblong 

 appendages, which curve over the top of the stigma and are often toothed at the 

 apex, their base dividing into two fleshy ridges. Follicles solitary or usually so, 

 tapering from the thickest part to a short thick beak which is sometimes grooved 

 on one side and the tip of beak sometimes turned towards the groove. Seeds flat 

 margined with a coma 2" long. 



It has a very strong fibre used for bow-strings, fishing lines, etc, and which 

 Itoxhurgh refers to as one of the strongest he had met with in the vegetable 

 king-dom. It has been several times recommended for cultivation. 



2. M. Hamiltonii, Wight. Moron arak, S. ; G-udgohalo, Or. 



Stems sarmentose or ultimately scandent from a very stout woody 

 stock. Branches pubescent. Leaves lo-2'75" at time of flowering, 

 mature 4" by 2 4", oblong or ovate mostly with cordate base, young 

 wuth a close curly pubescence on the nerves beneath, puberulous 

 above, mature glabrescent. Flowers yellow •18-'2" long with suberect 

 petals or "lo" long with spreading petals and •15-"25 diam., in sub- 

 capitate or densely corymbose axillary cymes -8-1 'S" diam. Calyx 

 thinly yellow-pubescent or hairy. Cor.-lobes glabrous but throat 

 densely villous. Fruit not seen. 



Tundi Hills, Manbhum, Camp, (under Gymnema hinutum, var. in Herb, Cal 

 Neterhat Plateau ! Sambalpur ! IJsually in grassy Sal jungles. Fl. April-June 

 Apparently dies down to rootstock annually. 



Leaves obtuse or shortly obtusely acuminate, sometimes oblique, sec. n. 4-8 of 

 which 2 from near base, looped, raised beneath, cross nervules rather straight. 

 Petiole "8-1 "o", young subtomentose. Cymes often bifurcate on short peduncles, 

 hairy-pubescent, bracts small, pedicels about as long as calyx. Calyx with oval 

 or ovate rounded segments about half as long as corolla (when the lobes are erect). 

 Cor. -tube suburceolate or sub-campanulate, lobes broadly-oblong rounded or ovate, 

 nearly as long as tube. Corolline corona of thickenings and a villous ring in the 

 throat. Staminal corona fleshj' with narrow membranous subulate tips as long 

 as or longer than the anther tips but narrower. Anther tips membranous broad, 

 not quite meeting over the stigma, which has a conical tip. 



The fruit is said to be eaten. 



18. DREGEA, E. Meyer. 



Twining shrubs with greenish flowers in umbelliform cymes. 

 Coi'olla rotate with broad lobes overlapping to i-ight. Corona» 



558 



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