187 



N. Ord. CONVOLVULACE^E. 

 Tribe Convolvulea. 



Genus Convolvulus,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., ii, p. 874. Species 

 about 150, natives of the temperate regions of both hemi- 

 spheres, especially of Asia Minor. 



187. Convolvulus Scammonia,t Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 153 



(1753). 



Scammony. 



Syn. C. pseudo-Scammonia, C. Koch. 



. Figures. Woodville, t. 86; Steph. & Ch., t. 60; Nees, t. 195; Hayne, 

 xii, t. 35 ; Berg & Sch., t. 13 c ; Flora Grseca, 1. 192. 



Description. A perennial herb, with a very long, straight, per- 

 pendicular, very gradually tapering, cylindrical, unbranched, woody 

 root about \ to 3 or 4 inches thick, smooth and yellowish outside, 

 paler within and exuding milk when wounded, giving off 

 scattered small root-fibres. Stems numerous, from the crown of 

 the root, elongated, slender, cylindrical, smooth, hollow, twining, 

 copiously branched, branches horizontal, spreading widely. 

 Leaves alternate, scattered, on long petioles without stipules, del- 

 toid-triangular, but varying in width, apex somewhat attenuated, 

 very acute, base straight or more or less cordate, usually with 

 one or two large jagged teeth on each side, the rest of the 

 margin entire, smooth on both sides, punctate below. Flowers 

 large, numerous, on long stalks, either solitary or in small 

 trichotomous cymes, at the extremity of long axillary horizontal 

 peduncles, bracts opposite, small, leaflike. Sepals 5, unequal, 

 glabrous, green, the margins undulated, bordered with brownish- 

 red, the two outer broadly oblong or ovate, the 3 inner longer 

 and narrower, apiculate and toothed at the end. Corolla widely 

 funnel-shaped 1J 2 inches wide at the mouth, very narrow at 



* From convolvo, to entwine; a mediaeval name for some plants of the 

 genus, 

 f Scammonia^ in Greek o-Ka/^oi/i'a. the classical name for the plant. 



