22. Ceropegia.] 90. ASCLEPIDAGEjE. 



purple, in axillary peduncled iimbelliform cymes, rarely solitary. 

 Sepals narrow. Corolla-ttibe elongate, straight or curved, often 

 swollen at the base, dilated above or not, lobes very various, erect or 

 often incurved with cohering tips, often at length recurved or 

 reflexed. Corona staminal, annular or cupular, 5-10-lobed and with 

 5 long ligulate processes Avithin that are free or adnate to the anthers. 

 Column short. Pollinia 1 in each cell, erect, sessile, with one pellucid 

 margin. Follicles usually slender, terete. 



•Glabrous. Corolla lobes with cohering appendages . . . .1. tuherom. 

 L. pubescent, peduncled hispid. Cor. lobes suberect . . . .2. hirsuta. 



1. C. tuberosa, Roxh. 



A slender twiner from a tuberous root. Leaves slightly fleshy, 

 glabrous and shining both sides, broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, 

 rarely lanceolate, larger 3 by 2", upper elliptic 2 by 1" with a long 

 sharp apiculus. Flowers few in an umbel, l-l'o" long (only -6" in my 

 specimens, perhaps not fully developed). Sep. subulate, 'IS". Corolla 

 inflated at base, beaked in bud, with about 24 brown stripes within 

 and Avith long reflexed hairs in the neck, lobes one-third shorter than 

 the tube, suddenly contracted from a triangular base into linear 

 cohering appendages. Corona near top of column, shallowly cupular, 

 lobes ovate ciliate, opposite to each and from their base arises a long 

 linear and clavate appendage which meet above the stigma. Follicles 

 4-5" very slender. Seeds '25" linear, 



Khurda forest. Puri ! Fl. Sept. 



Leaves with satiny lustre, " from orbicular to lane." (F.B.I,), base rounded, sec. 

 n. 5-6, of which 2 from base. Petiole •5--7". Corolla micro. -puberulous outside. 

 Anthers small oblong fleshy shining. 



2. C. hirsuta, W. Sf A. 



A hirsute climber with lanceolate to linear or (lower) broadly 

 oblong, or a few ovate, leaves 2-3" or attaining 5" by 2" with rounded 

 or subcordate base and acute tip. Flowers 1-5-2" long, tubular with 

 a ventricose base about "25" diam. and limb •4-5" diam. above the 

 throat, with lobes erect oblong ciliate cohering. Follicles erecto- 

 patent 3". 



Rajmahal Hills, rather scarce, Kurz ! Manbhum, Camp. ! Ranchi (Hundrugagh), 

 Train ! Fl., Fr. Aug.-Sept. 



A variable plant. The roots of true hirsuta are fibrous, in our plant with a 

 flattened globose tuber. Stems with spreading hairs. Leaves membranous when 

 dry, thinly hairy, sec. n. 2-3 fine oblique, petiole ■■i--6". Flowers about 2 on a 

 iairy peduncle -4-2" long, pedicels •2o-- 5". Sepals linear-subulate •2--3". Corolla 

 yellow with green tips or greenish blotched with purple. 



'Nor-E.—Anderso}} records a species of Ceropegia from the top of Parasnath which 

 I have not seen. He gives it no specific name. 



23. BOUCEROSIA, W. ^ A. 



{Boucerosia is sunk in Carailuma in the Flora of Africa.) 

 Fleshy leafless herbs with thick 4-angled stems not attenuate at 

 the ends, angles toothed. Flowers terminal, large, solitary or 

 umbelled, more or less purple. Corona annular, adnate to the column, 

 5-lobed ; lobes 2-fid, subulate, erect or spreading with a linear fleshy 

 process on the inner face at the sinus inflexed over the anther. Column 



562 



