.32. ASCLEPIADACE.E. 



107 



a crown of hairs; fruit consisting 

 of "2 follicles containing several 

 seeds. 



Gullies and moist sheltered 

 places. — July Sept. — Central 

 Europe and Mediterranean re- 

 gion. 



Family 32. — 

 ASCLEPIADACE>E. 



1. GoMPHOc.\RPUS, R. Br. 



(Greek tjomphos, a nail, and kar- 



pos. fruit: alluding to the 



bristles on the fruit.) 



Calyx and corolla o-cleft, lobes 

 of corolla recurved ; stamens o, 

 the filaments and anthers united 

 in a tube surrounding the ovary 

 and stigma, the filaments also 

 bearing 5 pouclishaped, obliquely 

 truncate appendages which cover 

 the back of the anthers and are 

 called the iforono ; anthers open- 

 ing inwards 



Vinca major. 



Gomphocarpus 

 cens. 



arbores' 



shrub, with stout downy 



leaves oval-oMong, entire 



with conspicuous, oblique. 



_ and surmounted by 



a membranous appendage ap- 

 pressed on the stigma ; pollen 

 cohering in waxy masses, which 

 hang in pairs from small peglike 

 processes of the stigma ; styles 2, 

 short, united imder the flat- 

 topped, S-angled stigma ; seeds 

 numerous, crowned by a tuft of 

 long, silky hairs: fruit a large, 

 inflated, leathery follicle, stud- 

 ded with soft spines or bristles : 

 flowers in terminal and axillary, 

 pedunculate, drooping umbels ; 

 pedicels long, recurved in fruit : 

 leaves opposite ; branches con- 

 taining milky juice. 



Stems stout, spread- 

 ing ; leaves oval 



Stems slender, ereet ; 

 leaves linear-lan- 

 ceolate 



1. Gomphocarpus ar- 



borescens, H. 15r. Under- 



stems, branching dichotomously ; 



mucronate, subsessile, leathery, 



parallel veins ; umbels downy of 



G. nrhoresccns 1 



G. fruficosus 2 



10-20 flowers; corolla-lobes creamy-white above, downy- and 



