ASCLEPIADE^E. LXXVII. HEMIDESMUS. LXXVIII. BRACHYLEPIS. LXXIX. STREPTOCAULON. 



161 



about one half shorter than the corolla. This genus is allied 

 to both Secamone and Toxocarpus, but differs from both in the 

 structure of the corona, as also in habit. Brown's character of 

 Secamone was probably intended to include all three genera. 



1 G. Aci-MisATi-M (Wight, 1. c.). Jj. ^. S. Native of 

 Silhet. Wall. ascl. no. 127. unnamed. 



dcuminated-leaved. Goniostemma. Shrub tw. 



Cvlt. For culture and propagation see Pergularia, p. 1 33. 



Tribe V. 



PERIPLO V CE^1 (this tribe contains genera agreeing with 

 Periploca in particular characters). R. Br. in mem. wern. soc. 

 1. p. 56. Wight and Arnott, contrib. ind. bot. p. 62. Pollen 

 masses 5-20, granular, fixed singly, or by fours, to a dilated 

 appendage, composed of 2 combined ones, which rises from 

 the top of each corpuscle of the stigma, but are at length 

 applied to it. Filaments partly or altogether distinct. Anthers 

 conniving, in the manner of a cupola, over the stigma. In all 

 the genera of this tribe, examined by Wight and Arnott, (ex- 

 cept perhaps Cryptostegia) the corpuscle is dilated at the base 

 into a kind of gland, similar to those found at the base of the 

 pollen masses of an Orchis; and in all, with the above excep- 

 tion, both the corpuscle and its appendage are at length readily 

 detached from the stigma. 



LXXVII. HEMIDE'SMUS (from iifjutrvi, hemisus, half, and 

 <T|ioc, desmos, a tie ; filaments joined at ba=e and free at apex). 

 R. Br. in mem. wern. soc. 1. p. 56. Wight and Arnott, contrib. 

 ind. bot. p. 62. Periploca species, Lin. 



LIK. SYST. Pentdndria, Digynia. Corolla rotate; having 

 5 mutic scales inserted under the recesses between the segments. 

 Filaments connate at the base, distinct at top, inserted in the 

 tube. Anthers cohering, free from the stigma, beardless, sim- 

 ple at top. Pollen masses 20, granular, applied by fours to the 

 reniform, solitary, appendage of each corpuscle. Stigma flat- 

 tish, peltate, mutic. Follicles cylindrical, divaricate, smooth. 

 Seeds comose. Twining shrubs. Leaves opposite, shining 

 above. Cymes interpetiolar. Flowers small. Corollas be- 

 tween coriaceous and fleshy. The pollen masses are 4 to each 

 anther ; the>e remain for some time in their cells, but at length 

 adhere to a viscid dilated corpuscular appendage. 



1 H. I'SDICUS (R. Br. in hort. kew. 2. p. 75.) glabrous ; 

 leaves from cordate-ovate, cuspidate, to narrow-linear, acute, 

 usually oblong-lanceolate ; cymes usually almost sessile, but 

 sometimes pedunculate ; scales of corolla adhering to the tube 

 from the base to the apex ; follicles slender, straight. Tj . ^\ S. 

 Native every where in the peninsula of India, among bushes. 

 Wall. ascl. no. 104. 105. Wight, cat. 1562. Periploca I'ndica, 

 Willd. spec. 1. p. 1251. Roxb. mus. ind. orient, t. 212. As- 

 clepias pseudosarsa, Roxb. fl. ind. 2. p. 39. exclusive of many 

 synonymes. Rheed. mal. 10. t. 34. Burm. zeyl. p. 187. t. 83. 

 f' 1. Pluk. t. 359. f. 2. (with broad leaves) and t. 361. f. 1. 

 (with narrow leaves). This is a very polymorphous plant, 

 varying much in shape, and size of the leaves ; and when the 

 varieties are better known may hereafter form several species. 



Indian Hemidesmus. Clt. 1796. Shrub, tw. 



2 H. PUBE'SCEXS (Wight and Arnott, contrib. ind. bot. p. 63.) 

 branchlets slender, clothed with hairy pubescence ; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, acute, downy as well as the peduncles and calyxes ; 

 cymes sessile ; scales of corolla fixed to the tube. Ij . rk . S. 

 Native of the East Indies, at Vandalore. Wall. ascl. no. 105. 

 cl. unnamed. Wight, cat. no. 1563. 



Downy Hemidesmus. Shrub tw. 



3 H. WALLICHII (Wight, 1. c.) glabrous ; leaves narrow linear- 

 lanceolate, acute ; cymes few-flowered ; scales of corolla subu- 

 late, free from the tube, but cohering with the base of the fila- 



VOL. IV. 



ments. *? . ^\ S. Native on hills, about Prome. Wall, cat 

 no. 106. unnamed. 



Wallich's Hemidesmus. Shrub tw. 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Pergularia, p. 133. 



LXXVIII. BRACHY'LEPIS (from /3pa xvc , brachys, short, 

 and \iirif, lepis, a scale ; in reference to the 5 short truncate 

 scales in the throat of the corolla). Wight and Arnott, contrib. 

 ind. bot. p. 63. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Digynia. Corolla subrotate, 5- 

 parted ; segments spreading ; scales in the throat 5, short, 

 truncate, flat, mutic ; tube short, fully clothed by a broad, 

 fleshy, adnate ring inside. Filaments very short, broad, distinct, 

 inserted in the upper part of the throat along with the scales ; 

 anthers glued by the base to the margin of the stigma, simple 

 and cohering at top, the rest distinct and beardless. Pollen 

 masses 20, granular, applied by fours to the dilated loose ap- 

 pendage of each corpuscle. Stigma mutic. Follicles divari- 

 cate, cylindrical, smooth. A twining shrub ; branches downy. 

 Leaves opposite, oval, abruptly acuminated, rather downy while 

 young, glabrous in the adult state, and shining above, parallelly 

 nerved beneath. Cymes interpetiolar, small, tomentose, shorter 

 than the leaves. Flowers small, crowded. Corolla hairy out- 

 side, glabrous inside, subrotate ; segments spreading ; or the 

 corolla is subcampanulate. 



1 B. NERVOSA (Wight and Arnott, 1. c.). fj . ^\ G. Native 

 of the Neelgherries. Wight, cat. no. 1565. Streptocaulon 

 nerv6sum, Wight, mss. Wall. ascl. no. 107. unnamed. 



Nerved-\eaved Brachylepis. Shrub tw. 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Pergularia, p. 133. 



LXXIX. STREPTOCAU'LON (from .n-ptn-os, streptot, 

 twisted, and KavXoc, kaulos, a stem ; stems twisted). Wight 

 and Arnott, contrib. ind. bot. p. 64. Periploca species, Wall, 

 ascl. 



Lis. SYST. Pentdndria, Digynia. Corolla rotate, 5-parted ; 

 throat crowned by 5 short scales, which alternate with the 

 segments, aristate ; awns flexuously erect, filiform, straight at 

 the apex. Filaments distinct, inserted in the tube ; anthers 

 adhering by the base to the margin of the stigma, free above, 

 simple and beardless at the apex. Pollen masses granular, soli- 

 tary (or composed of 4 confluent ones), applied to the dilated 

 loose appendage of each corpuscle. Stigma mutic. Follicles 

 cylindrical, divaricate, smooth. Seeds comose. Twining, or 

 rarely decumbent plants, usually downy or tomentose, rarely 

 glabrous. J. eaves opposite. Cymes interpetiolar, usually 

 spreadiug, and much branched. Flowers small. This genus 

 is intermediate between Periploca, as limited by Mr. Brown, 

 and his Gymnema. It differs from Periploca in the beardless 

 anthers, which character is laid particular stress on by most 

 authors. It differs from Gymnanthera in several respects, by 

 the stigma, pollen masses, and shape of corolla, and its scales. 

 Perhaps most of Poiret's species of Periploca belong to this 

 genus. What his P. Mauritiana may be it is impossible to say, 

 as the synonymes adduced are very different from each other ; 

 thus Plukn. t. 336. f. 7. is Tylophora asthmat ica ; and Rheed. 

 mal. 9. t. 11. is Cryplolepis Buchanani, Roam, et Schultes. 



1 S. TOMENTOSUM (Wight, contrib. ind. bot. p. 64.) branches 

 pubescent ; leaves obovate-lanceolate, acuminated, somewhat 

 cordate at the base, hispid above and tomentose beneath ; cymes 

 large, diffuse ; flowers on short pedicels, crowded on the tops 

 of the branches ; calyx and pedicels densely clothed with down ; 

 filaments very short. Tj . ^. S. Native of mount Taong 

 Dong, near Ava ; and of Cochinchina. Periploca tomentosa, 

 Wall. ascl. no. 125. and no. 126. 



Tomentose Streptocaulon. Shrub tw, 

 Y 



