GENTIANACE,E 157 



V. major L. Greater Periwinkle. Leaves often heart-shaped, or broadly 

 ovate, glabrous and shining, but bordered by minute hairs. Peduncles shorter 

 than the leaves. Calyx segments ciliate, as long as the corolla ; corolla very 

 large, blue, the tube broad. Corolla lobes broad, and almost angular. 



Borders of streams and shady places. February- May. 



NER1UM L. 



N. Oleander L. Oleander (Plate XXI). A shrub 3-8 ft high. Leaves 

 lanceolate, leathery, entire, usually in whorls of three. Flower, large and 

 handsome, deep rose or rarely white or pale pink. 



Wooded valleys, ravines and borders of streams, local. June-September. 



ASCLEPIADACE^E. 



Fruit a long, narrow, smooth follicle VINCETOXICUM. 



Fruit a shorter follicle, more swollen and spreading CYNANCHUM. 



Fruit ovoid, acuminate, inflated, covered with soft spines GOMPHOCARPUS 



VINCETOXICUM Mcench. 



V. officinale Mcench. (Cynanchum Vincetoxicum R. Br.). A rather 

 shrubby or straggling plant, i to nearly 3 ft. high, finely pubescent, with creeping 

 root-stock. Leaves opposite, entire, shortly petioled, the middle ones cordate- 

 ovate. Flowers small, dirty white or yellowish, in axillary petioled clusters. 

 Follicles glabrous, very large (i-2 in.) cylindric-acuminate, swollen towards 

 base, and when ripe showing beautiful silky seeds. 



Stony hills, thickets, etc., common. May-July. 



QOMPHOCARPUS R. Br. 



G. fruticosus R. Br. (Asclepias fruticosa L.). Under-shrub, 3-6 ft. 

 high, with linear-lanceolate leaves whose borders are rolled in downwards. 

 Flowers in umbels, white. Fruit ovate-acuminate, very hispid. 



Naturalized here and there near the coast. Originally from Corsica, Italy, 

 N. Africa. 



GENTIANACE^E. 



Corolla rotate. Stamens 6-8. Leaves perfoliate CHLORA. 



Corolla salver-shaped. Stamens 4. Stigma 2-lamellate CICENDIA. 



Corolla funnel-shaped. Stamens 5. Anthers twisted ERYTHR^EA. 



Corolla-tube subclavate. Anthers straight. Stigmas 2 GENTIANA. 



Corolla induplicate. Leaves orbicular, floating, alternate LIMNANTHEMUM. 



ERYTHR/EA Rich. 



E. Centaurium Pers. Common Erythraea or Centaury. Biennial, erect, 

 2-12 in. high, usually much branched in upper part. Lower leaves broadly 

 ovate, in a spreading tuft; upper ones in distant pairs, variable in shape. 

 Flowers bright pink, in a terminal, much-forked cyme or panicle. Corolla-tube 

 slender, limb spreading 5-cleft. 



Woods, fields, and grassy places, common. June-August. 



E. pulchella Fr. A smaller and often much-branched annual. Leaves 

 oval or oblong-lanceolate, radical, few. Cymes lax-flowered ; flowers pink, 

 all pedicelled, corolla tube longer than calyx. 



Sandy ground and damp, grassy places. May-September. 



E. spicata Pers. Annual. Leaves elliptic-oblong. Flowers sessile, 

 arranged in a long spike on the branches. Corolla lobes lanceolate rose. 

 Damp, grassy places. May- September. 



E. latifolia Sm., with broad leaves, and E. grandiflora Biv. with larger, 

 deep rose flowers and narrow, truncate, revolute leaves are occasionally seen in 

 the Var. Biennial. 



