A S C 



A S C 



live of moisture, the roots are apt to rot in the 

 winter season. 



The second kind succeeds best when planted 

 in such a situation as not to be too much cx- 

 po^ed to the sun during the day. 



From their low growth they are less ornamen- 

 tal than many others, especially the first sort, 

 but aflbrd much singularity in their mode of 

 flowering as well as their flowers, on which ac- 

 count they should always occupy the front situ- 

 ations in the places where they are planted out. 



ASCLEPIAS, a genus comprising various 

 plants of the flowery, perennial, herbaceous, 

 and shrubby exotic sorts ; and of the Swallow- 

 wort and Dog's-bane kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Digynia, and ranks in the natural order of Con- 

 lortcB. 



The characters of which are : that the calvx is a 

 five-cleft, sharp, very small, permanent peri- 

 anthium. The corolla monopetalous, flat or re- 

 flex, five-parted : the divisions ovate-acuminate, 

 slightly bending with the sun. The nectaries 

 five, growing to the tube of the filaments below 

 the anthers, fleshy, or cowled ; protruding from 

 the bottom a sharp horn, bending inwards. The 

 stamina consist of five filaments collected into 

 a tube, swelling at the base : the anthers oblong, 

 upright, and two -celled, terminated by an inflex 

 membrane lying on the stigma, having a reversed 

 wing on each side, growing broader downwards 

 with its edge contiguous to the next. The pollen 

 is collected into ten corpuscles, inversely lan- 

 ceolate, flat, hanging down into the cells of the 

 anther by short threads, frequently flexuose; 

 which are annexed by pairs to five cartilaginous, 

 twin tubercles, each placed on the tip of the 

 wings of the anthers, adhering to the angles of 

 the stigma, between the anthers. The pistillum 

 consists of two oblong acuminate germs; styles 

 two, subulate: stigma common to both, large, 

 thick, five-cornered, covered at top by the 

 apexes of the anthers, umbilicate in the middle. 

 The pericarpium has two follicles, large, oblong, 

 acuminate, swelling, one-celled, one-valved. 

 The seeds numerous, imbricate, crowned with 

 down : the receptacle is membranaceous and free. 



The species are very numerous, but those 

 most commonly in cultivation are ; 1. A. vin- 

 cetoxicum, Common Swallow-wort, or Tame- 

 poison; 2. A. nigra, Black Swallow -wort; 3. A. 

 Syriaca, Syrian Swallow-wort, or Dog's-bane; 

 4. A. purpurascens, Purple Virginian Swallow- 

 wort, or Dog's-bane; 5. A. verticillata, Verti- 

 cillate Swallow-wort; 6. A. decumbens, Decum- 

 bent Swallow-wort, or Dog's-bane ; J. A, lube- 

 rosa, Tuberous-] ooted Swallow-wort, or Dog's- 

 bane; 8. A. variegata, Variegated Swallow- 



wort; 9. A. arbwescens, Arborescent Swallow- 

 wort; 10. A Jrntieosa, Shrubby or Willow- 

 leaved Swallow-wort; 11. A. muhdu la, Wave- 

 leaved Swallow-wort; 12. A. crispa, Curled- 

 leaved Swallow-wort; 13. A. Cttrassavica, Cc- 

 rassoa Swallow-wort, or Bastard Ipecacuanha j 

 1 4. A. volubUis, Twining Swallow-wort ; 1 o. A. 

 gigantia,Cur\cd flowered GiganticSwallow-wort. 



The first species has lire root very large and 

 much branched: it is composed of many strong- 

 fibres, which are connected at the top, like those 

 of Asparagus. From this arise many stems, in 

 number proportioned to the size of the root, 

 near two feet high, very slender at the top, 

 woody, round, hairy, and not branched. The 

 leaves are cordate- ovate, acuminate, smooth, 

 hardish, quite entire, glaucous-green, the midrib 

 and sometimes the edge of the leaves a little 

 hairy : the petioles short. Peduncles axillary, 

 many-flowered, resembling proliferous umbels. 

 The calyx small, green, divided at the end into 

 five bristles. The corolla is commonly white : 

 the follicles ovate-acuminate: the seeds small, 

 brown, and wrapped in white cotton. It flowers 

 in June, sometimes in May, and continues 

 flowering to August, and is a native of most 

 parts of the continent of Europe. 



It is said to vary, with yellow flowers ; and 

 there is a variety with broader leaves. 



The second species agrees with the above iri 

 the shape of its roots, leaves, and flowers; but 

 the stalks extend to a greater length, and toward 

 their upper part twist round any sticks or other 

 plants near them ; and the flowers are black. 



It is by no means so common as the foregoing, 

 having been found only in the south of France, 

 the mountains about Nice, and in Spain. It 

 flowers at the same time with the other. 



The third creeps greatly at the root, and sends 

 up strong stems upwards of four feet high; to- 

 wards the top of them the flowers come out on 

 the side ; these are of a worn-out purple col'our, 

 smelling sweet; and sometimes they are suc- 

 ceeded here by large oval pods. It flowers in 

 July, and is a native of North America. The 

 French in Canada eat the tender shoots in spring- 

 as Asparagus. The flowers are highly odoriferous. 



The fourth species has many stems, as thick 

 as the little finger, at bottom quadrangular with 

 blunted angles, and of a brownish green colour ; 

 above round and green, a little hairy. The leaves 

 are on short petioles, from four to six inches 

 long, and two or three broad ; the midrib pur- 

 ple. The flowers have the petals of a dusky 

 herbaceous colour, the horns of the nectaries 

 pale and gaping, not erect but horizontal. It 

 is a native of North America, and flowers froaa. 

 July to September. 



