ASCLEPIADACEAE 949 



6. ANANTHERIX Nutt. 



Perennial erect herbs. Leaves opposite. Inflorescence terminal and lateral, consist- 

 ing of small umbels of large green and white flowers. Calyx-lobes 5, small, acute. Corolla 

 campanulate or rotate : lobes 5, longer than the tube, acutish, reflexed in anthesis. Column 

 very short but distinct, with a very narrow protruding undulating fold simulating an outer 

 crown, from which rise the hoods. Hoods as long as the corolla-lobes, oblong-clavate, as- 

 cending and incurved high over the anthers, mainly solid and laterally compressed, with 

 a narrow, lamelliform crest within. Anther-wings membranous or papery, spreading at 

 the widened, horizontally truncate base : caudicles capillary, more than double the length 

 of the short oblong pollinia. Follicles on recurving pedicels. 



1. Aiiantherix coimiveiis (Baldw.) A. Gray. Stems glabrous or minutely pubes- 

 cent, 3-6 dm. high, solitary or two together : leaf-blades sessile, oblong or lanceolate, 3-8 

 cm. long, transversely veined, thick and fleshy : umbels 2-5 or 6, disposed along the sum- 

 mit of the usually naked stem : peduncles longer than the pedicels : corolla-lobes 1 cm. 

 long or more, oblong, greenish : hoods white, 8 mm. high, 3-5 mm. wide at the rounded 

 laterally flat conniving apex, the solid portion outlined by a marginal vein : anther-wings 

 spreading toward the base, with two small fleshy appendages alternating with the hoods. 



In wet pine lands and swamps, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Summer. 



7. ASCLEFIODORA A. Gray. 



Perennial, erect or prociimbent herbs. Leaves opposite or alternate. Umbels termi- 

 nal, solitary or corymbose, of mostly large purple, greenish or white flowers. Calyx- 

 lobes 5, narrow, acute. Corolla rotate : lobes 5, acutish, erect or spreading in anthesis. 

 Hoods inserted over the whole of the very short column and arising from the base of the 

 corolla-lobes, shorter than or slightly surpassing the anthers, pendulous or saccate at the 

 base, arcuate-assurgent or merely erect-assurgent, the apex rounded, closed, crested within 

 at least in the upper part. Between the hoods are borne 1 or 2 small lobes or appendages, 

 alternate with the anther-wings, simulating an inner crown. Anther-wings corneous, nar- 

 rowed at the base and salient about the middle, or horizontally truncate, rounded at the 

 base and somewhat sagittate, the edges flattened laterally and meeting up the center. 

 Caudicles shorter than the pyriform pollinia. Follicles resembling those of Asclepias, often 

 soft-spin ulose. 



Leaves alternate. 



Umbel solitary. 1. A. decumbens. 



Umbels 2-several, cymose at the summit of the stem. 2. A. viridis. 



Leaves opposite ; blades linear-filiform : umbels solitary, or two or three together. 3. A. Feayi. 



1. Asclepiodora decumbens (Nutt.) A. Gray. Stems scabrous-puberulent, solitary 

 or several together, usually simple, strongly angled, 2-4 dm. long : leaves 4-15 cm. long ; 

 blades lanceolate to linear, tapering at the apex, thick and coriaceous, often appearing as 

 if remotely whorled in three's : peduncles varying in length : umbel 4-5 cm. broad, many- 

 flowered : corolla depressed globular in bud ; lobes greenish, about one third longer than 

 the purplish hoods : hoods incurved, obtuse, 2-lobed on the ventral margin, slightly over- 

 topping the broad depressed anther-column : crest attached close to the downcurving apex, 

 irregularly undulate, salient and then tapering to the base : anther-wings salient above the 

 angulate middle ; appendage at the base, broad, obtuse, entire : follicles about 8 cm. long, 

 naked or with soft spine-like processes, erect, on recurving pedicels : seeds thin, about 6 

 mm. long. 



On dry plains, Arkansas to Utah, Texas, Arizona and northern Mexico. Spring and summer. 



2. Asclepiodora viridis (Walt. ) A. Gray. Stems nearly glabrous, decumbent or as- 

 surgent, 2-6 dm. high, angled, leafy to the top : leaves remote ; blades oblong or oblong- 

 lanceolate, 6-10 cm. long, 1.5-4 cm. wide, obtuse and mucronulate or acutish at the apex, 

 mostly narrowed and rounded at the base, rather thin : peduncles shorter than the leaves : 

 umbels 2-5 or rarely solitary, few-flowered : pedicels slender, shorter than the umbels : 

 corolla globose-ovoid in bud ; lobes greenish, 10-12 mm. long, oblong, obtuse or acut- 

 ish : hoods entire on the ventral margins, purplish or violet, spreading-assurgent, pendulous 

 below the anther-column, less than half the length of the corolla-lobes : anther-wings 

 angled at about the middle, tapering or nearly straight at the base, the accessory processes 

 obscurely 2-3-lobed : pollinia narrow, little longer than the caudicles : follicles erect, on 



