ASCLEPIADE^E 



231 



Stem erect, terete, pubescent with curved hairs, pale green, 

 soon becoming almost colourless, ultimately climbing ; 1st internode 

 3-5-3-8 cm. long ; 2nd 2-2-4 cm. ; 

 3rd 1-8-2-2 cm. 



Leaves simple, entire, cauline, 

 opposite, decussate, stipulate, petio- 

 late, alternately and ascendingly 

 incurvinerved with the principal 

 nerves giving off numerous anasto- 

 mosing branches, thin and subcoria- 

 ceous in the seedling stage, thinly 

 pubescent on the nerves on both 

 surfaces with curved hairs, but 

 denser towards and on the margin, 

 deep green above, paler beneath ; 

 petiole semiterete, channelled 

 above, pubescent on the edges 

 and back with curved hairs ; stipules 

 minute, glandular, subulate, soon 

 becoming brown and scarious, 

 deciduous. 



First to fifth pairs elliptic, 

 obtuse, the upper ones shortly 

 acuminate and more elongated or tapered to each end. 



Ceropegia sp. (fig. 521). 



Hypocotyl succulent, scarcely 1 cm. 

 above ground, 3-4 mm. thick, slightly com- 

 pressed, glabrous, pale green. 



Cotyledons subsessile, nearly equal, about 

 1 cm. long and wide, and 1-2 mm. 

 thick, roundly triangular or almost orbicular, 

 with a truncate base and very obtuse apex, 

 entire, nearly flat, marginate, obscurely 

 nerved, succulent, glabrous, glossy green. 



Stem succulent, suberect, terete, half as 

 thick as the hypocotyl in the young stage, 

 minutely verrucose, dark green. 



Leaves simple, entire, cauline, opposite, 

 decussate, exstipulate, very shortly petiolate 

 or subsessile, succulent, glabrous, with a midrib but an otherwise 

 indistinct venation, green more or less suffused with a purplish tint. 



First pair oblong, cuneate at the base, obtuse, glabrous with a 



FIG. 520. Hoya viridiftora* 

 Half nat. size. 



FIG. 521Ceropegia sp. 

 Half iiat. size. 



