ASCLEPIADACEJE. 



asclep. 63. Periploca indica Willd. i. 1251. Asclepias pseu- 

 dosarsa Roxb. fl. ind. ii. 39. (Rheede x. t. 34. Burm. zeyl. 

 187. t. 83. f. 1. Pluk. t. 359. f. 2. and t. 361. f. 1.) Com- 

 mon all over the peninsula of India. 



Root long and slender, with few ramifications, covered with rust- 

 coloured bark, which possesses a peculiarly pleasant sort of fragrance, 

 whether fresh or dried. Stems twining, "diffuse, or climbing, woody, 

 slender, generally from the thickness of a goose's quill, to that of a 

 crow's quill, nearly smooth. Leaves opposite, short stalked, in shape 

 variable. On the young shoots that issue from old roots, and lie on the 

 earth, they are linear, acute, and striated down the middle with white; 

 on the superior, and old branches, they are generally broad-lanceolate, 

 even, sometimes ovate or ovalj all are entire, smooth, shining, and of a 

 firm texture, the length and breadth very various. Stipules four-fold, 

 small, on each side of each petiole, caducous. Racemes axillary, ses- 

 sile, imbricated with flowers, and then with scales like bracts. Flowers 

 small ; outside green, inside a deep purple. Calyx divisions acute. 

 Corolla flat ; divisions oblong, pointed, inside rugose. Follicles long, 

 slender, spreading. Roxb. The Sarsaparilla of India is chiefly the 

 root of this species ; a decoction of it is prescribed by European prac- 

 titioners in cutaneous diseases, scrophula, and venereal affections. 

 Ainslie. It is said to be quite as efficient a medicine as the best Sar- 

 saparilla of America j and is probably the drug from which Mr. 

 Garden obtained what he calls smilasperic acid. A great deal of it is 

 consumed in London now, as a very fine kind of Sarsaparilla. 



SECAMONE. 



Corolla rotate. Coronet 5-leaved ; the leaflets laterally com- 

 pressed, attached by the longer edge, turned backwards, simple. 

 Pollen-masses 20, erect, attached by fours to the point of each 

 unfurrowed corpuscle of the stigma. Stigma contracted at the 

 point. Follicles smooth. W. and A. 



1154. S. emetica R. Br. inprodr. under p. 320. R. and S. 

 vi. 124. W. and A. ascL 60. Periploca emetica Retz. obs. 

 ii. 14. Willd. phyt. i. 6. t. 5. f. 3. Southern parts of the 

 Peninsula of India, in thickets at the foot of mountains, common. 



A smooth twining shrub. Leaves short-stalked, veinless, smooth, 

 varying from elliptical to narrow-lanceolate. Cymes inter-axillary, few- 

 flowered, or many-flowered, shorter than the leaves. Flowers very 

 small, greenish. Coronet with cultriform leaflets, about half as short 

 again as the stigma-cover. Follicles slender, tapering to the point. 

 Roots acrid and emetic. 



1155. S. Alpini R. and S. vi. 125. Periploca Secamone 

 Linn. mant. 216. Secamone Prosp. Alpin. cegypt. 135. t. 134. 



Egypt. 



Stem twining, shrubby, smooth. Leaves lanceolate-elliptical, stalked, 

 smooth, paler beneath, with transverse veins. Panicles axillary, dicho- 

 tornous, shorter than the leaves. Flowers minute, white, hairy inside. 



A drastic, said by some to yield what is called Smyrna Scammony ; 

 but this is very doubtful. 



544 



