252 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



Order Asclepiadace^. 



This order is like Apocyneae in general habit, milky juice, 

 opposite leaves, follicles, and hairy seeds. But the stamens 

 are united at base. In most flowers each stamen bears a 

 petal-like or tongue-like process at the back, forming a crown. 



II. 



Fig. 254. — Pachypodium. I. Branch showing spinous stipules and 

 follicles with hairy seeds. II. Flower. 



The pollen grains are not powdery, but united in masses, as in 

 Orchidaceae. Around the stigma five little, dark brown, hard 

 glands may be seen, to which the pollinia are attached. By 

 placing a needle under the glands they may be withdrawn, as 

 they are when an insect frees its foot from the slit between the 

 anthers. The glands are between the stamens, and the pollen 

 masses on either side come from the halves of two adjacent 

 anthers. 



The flowers are in umbels. Many are climbing, some are 

 fleshy and leafless. A large order, of which 48 genera are 

 found in South Africa. 



