MILKWEED FAMILY. 287 



§ 2. Twining or halfscandent plants with ordinary foliage ; pods and seeds nearly as 

 in Asclepias. 



» Anthers ivith their hanging pollen masses nearly as Asclepias ; pods smooth and 

 even. 



4. ENSLENLV. Calyx and corolla 5-parted, the divisions lance-ovate and nearly erect. 



The 5 aijpendages of the filaments are in the form of membranaceous leaflets, each 

 bearing a pair of awns on their truncate tip. Herb. 



5. VINCETOXICUM. Corolla 5-parted, wheel-shaped. A flat and fleshy 5-10-lobed disk 



or crown in place of the hoods of Asclepias. Herbs. 



6. CYNANCUUM. Differs from the above chiefly in having 5 scales or ligules iu the 



sinuses of the crown. 

 * * The 10 pollen masses horizontal, fixed in pairs to 5 glands of the stigma. 



7. GONOLOBUS. Corolla wheel-shaped ; a fleshy and wavy-lobed ring or crown in its 



throat. 



• » * The 10 short pollen masses fixed by their base in pairs to the 5 glands of the 



stigma, and erect. Shrubby plants, of tropical regions. 



8. HOY,\. Corolla wheel-shaped, 5-lobed, thick and wa.\ -like in appearance. Crown of 



5 thick and depressed fleshy appendages radiating from the central column. 



9. STEPHANOTIS. Corolla salver-shaped, the tube including the stamens, crown, etc., 



in its somewhat swollen base, the 5 ovate lobes convolute in the bud. Crown of 5 

 thin erect appendages. Stigma conical. 



* * * * Anthers distinct, the !^ pollen masses each composed of 4 small granular masses 



united, and applied directly to the glands of the stigma without any stalk. 

 Shrubby twiners. 



10. PERIPLOCA. Corolla 5-parted, wheel-shaped, the divisions hairy on the upper face; 



alternate with them are the 5 small, thick scales, each bearing a bristle-.shaped ap- 

 pendage. Filaments distinct, bearing anthers of more ordinary appearance than in 

 the rest of this family. Stigma hemispherical. Pods smooth. 



§ 3. Fleshy lotv plants. Cactus like, with only small fleshy scales or teeth in place of 

 leaves, on the angles of the thickened stems or branches. 



11. STAPELIA. Flowers large, lurid, solitary, lateral. Calyx 5-parted. Corolla 5-cleft, 



wheel-shaped ; within is a crown formed of two rings of short appendages or lobes. 

 Masses of waxy pollen 10, erect. 



1. ASCLEPIAS, MILKWEED, SILKWEED. (The Greek name of 

 .^sculaplas, father of medicine.) Fkiwering in summer. 2/ 



* Flowers bright orange or reel ; pods naked. 



H- Leaves irregularly alternate. 



A. tuber6sa, Linn. Buttkkfi.y Wekd, Pleurisy Root. Dry hills ; 

 milky juice hardly any ; stems and mostly scattered linear or lance-oblong 

 leaves hairy ; flowers bright orange. 



-1- I- Leaves opposite. 



A. Curassdvica, Linn. Wild far S.,and sparingly cult, from S. Amer., 

 as a house and licdding plant ; nearly smooth ; leaves lanceolate ; umbels 

 long-peduiiclcd ; corolla scarlet-red, the hoods orange. 



A. paup^rcula, Michx. Wet barrens from N. J., S. ; tall, smooth, 

 with long lance-linear leaves, one or more few-flowered umbels raised on 

 long peduiu'le, and red corolla with bright orange hoods. 



A. rtibra, Linn. Smooth, with lance-ovate, gradually taper-pointed 

 leaves, a few many-flowered umbels on a long naked peduncle, and 

 purple-red flowers. Low barrens from N. J., S. 



