950 ASCLEPIADACEAE 



deflexed pedicels, 6-11 cm. long, obtuse, 1.5-2 cm. wide, with or without soft spinous pro- 

 jections : seeds 6 cm. long, broadly rounded at the apex : coma 3-3.5 cm. long. 



In dry soil, Illinois and Kentucky to South Carolina, Texas and New Mexico. Spring and summer. 



3. Asclepiodora Feayi Chapm. Stems erect, very slender, 2-4 dm. high, minutely 

 puberulent in lines, or glabrous : leaves opposite, in 3-6 pairs ; blades linear-filiform, 3-10 

 cm. long, with revolute margins : umbels 2-3 at the summit of the stem, very short- 

 peduncled, 3-6-flowered : pedicels about 12 mm. long, filiform, minutely puberulent : 

 corolla globose-ovoid in bud ; lobes white, oblong-lanceolate, about 7 mm. long, acutish : 

 hoods erect-spreading, shorter than the anther-column, white, concave, not down-curved at 

 the rounded or obtuse apex : crest a semi-oval entire, fleshy fold or ridge attached to the 

 thickened midrib within : anther-wings membranous above, corneous below, sagittate at 

 the base : hood -appendages minutely and obscurely 2-lobed : follicles very slender, 3 cm. 

 long or more, long-acuminate. 



In pine lands. Florida. Spring to fall. 



8. METASTELMA K. Br. 



Slender twining perennial vines or woody climbers. Leaves opposite : blades narrow. 

 Flowers very small, in sessile or very short-peduncled few-flowered cymes or umbels. 

 Calyx-lobes 5, acutish or obtuse, with a gland in each sinus. Corolla rotately spreading 

 or subcampanulate : lobes 5, commonly tomentose or retro rsely pubescent or puberulent 

 along the apex within. Crown 5-parted, inserted at the base of the corolla or on the 

 column at the base of the anthers, the lateral margins of the lobes not involute. Gynoste- 

 gium sessile or raised on a column. Stigma flat. Follicles slender, acuminate, smooth. 

 The plants flower mainly from spring to fall. 



Crown adnate to the corolla ; lobes united at the base. 1. M. scoparium. 



Crown adnate to the column ; lobes very slender, incurved over the anthers. 



Crown adnate to the column and partly adnate to the base of the corolla : leaf- 

 blades linear or nearly so, thin : stems filiform. 2. M. Blodgettii. 

 Crown adnate to the top of the column, entirely free from the base of the corolla. 

 Flowers 2-several together in sessile or very short-peduncled cymes. 



Corolla 3 mm. long : leaf-blades linear-lanceolate, 1-2.5 cm. long, leathery. 3. M. Palmer! . 

 Corolla4-5 mm. long : leaf-blades oblong, oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceo- 

 late, 2.5-5 cm. long, thin. 4. M. barbigerum. 

 Flowers in peduncled cymes : peduncles 5-10 cm. long : leaf-blades oblong or 



round-oval. 5. M. Bahamense. 



1. Metastelma scoparium (Nutt.) Vail. Stems filiform, from a ligneous base, much 

 branched, diffuse and twining, becoming leafless : leaf-blades narrowly linear, thin, acute, 

 2-5 cm. long : umbels sessile and few-flowered : calyx-lobes with a minute gland in each 

 sinus : corolla 1-1.5 mm. long, greenish ; lobes narrowly lanceolate, acute, almost valvate 

 in the bud : crown-lobes shorter than the anthers, manifestly united at the base, crenately 

 5-lobed, the middle lobe the longest : pollinia pyriform, narrowed toward the apex, the 

 caudicles very slender, the corpuscle narrow, spreading at the base : follicles 3.5-4.5 cm. 

 long, linear, very slender, widely spreading, acute, few-seeded : seeds 7 mm. long, thin 

 and rarely 1 mm. wide : coma 5-10 mm. long. 



In dry rich soil, South Carolina to eastern Florida. 



2. Metastelma Blodgettii A. Gray. Stems nearly glabrous, filiform, twining, 6 dm. 

 long, or more : leaf-blades linear or nearly so, 9 mm. long, or more, rounded at the base, 

 tapering to the cuspidate apex, rather thick, with revolute margins and thick midvein : 

 cymes 3-6-flowered : calyx-lobes subulate, less than 1 mm. long: corolla 2.5-3 mm. long, 

 whitish, tinged with purple ; lobes linear-lanceolate, acuminate, densely and retrorsely 

 penicillate-bearded below the apex, and sparingly pubescent towards the base within : 

 crown-lobes adnate to the base of the column and partly adnate to the corolla, linear- 

 subulate, very slender, erect, surpassing the anthers : anther-wings corneous, slightly 

 salient at the angled base : pollinia inverted club-shaped, tapering to the broad-winged and 

 angled caudicles, the corpuscle oblong, obtuse at the obovate apex : follicles filiform, 4-5 

 cm. long, glabrous : seeds 3 mm. long, very narrow : coma 15 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, peninsular Florida and the Keys. 



3. Metastelma Falmeri S. Wats. Stems glabrous, filiform : leaf-blades linear-lanceo- 

 late, acute and cuspidate at the apex, acute or obtuse at the base ; petioles 2-4 mm. long, 

 slender : cymes subsessile, 1-5-flowered : calyx-lobes ovate, acute : corolla dull purplish, 

 3 mm. long ; lobes oblong-lanceolate with a whitish margin and minutely retrorse-bearded 

 within : crown-lobes adnate to the summit of the stout column, linear-subulate, slightly 

 surpassing the anthers, obscurely decurrent on the column : anther-wings very small : 

 anther-tips nearly concealing the flattish stigma : follicles not seen. 



In dry soil, southern Texas and Mexico. 



