ASCLEPIADACEAE 375 



cm long, the nerves prominent beneath, joined with the distinct, looped, mar- 

 ginal nerve Inflorescence axillary, peduncled, cymose, 6 to 10 cm long. 

 Flowers white, fragrant. Calyx-lobes lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 

 pointed, about 1 cm long. Corolla white, the tube about 7 mm long, the 

 lobes spreading, linear, 1.5 to 2 cm long. Follicles very long, slender, pen- 

 dulous, cyhndric, up to 60 cm in length. (PI. Filip. pi. ^8, Echites pro- 

 cumbens.) 



In thickets, Masambong, fl. June; occasional in the Philippines. India to 

 Malaya. 



13. ICHNOCARPUS R. Brown 



Climbing shrubs with ovate, opposite leaves. Flowers numerous, small, 

 in elongated, terminal and axillary cymes. Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla salver- 

 shaped, throat contracted or villous, the lobes narrowed, obtuse, the upper 

 half deflexed in bud. Stamens inserted at or below the middle of the tube, 

 the anthers surrounding and adhering to the stigma. Ovary of 2 distinct 

 carpels, hairy, many-ovuled, exserted from the disk; style short. Follicles 

 slender, spreading, cylindric or somewhat compressed. Seeds narrowed 

 above, the coma deciduous (Greek "vestige" and "fruit," in allusion to the 

 slender carpels.) 



Species 5 or 6, India to Australia, 1 or 2 in the Philippines. 



1. I. ovatlfolius A. DC. Hinguio (Tag.). 



A woody vine 4 m or more in length, glabrous or nearly so. Leaves ovate 

 to oblong-ovate, 5 to 14 cm long, acuminate, base rounded or acute. Cymes 

 terminal and axillary, many-ffowered, the entire inflorescence 5 to 20 cm 

 in length. Flowers white, rather crowded, about 6 mm long. Follicles 

 slender, 5 to 18 cm long, about .3 mm in diameter, densely brown-pubescent. 

 (Fl. Filip. pi. 97, I. frutesedns:) 



In thickets, occasional, fl. June-Aug.; widely distributed in the Philip- 

 pines. India to Malaya. 



117. ASCLEPIADACEAE (Milkweed Family) 



Herbs or shrubs, usually twining, with milky juice, the leaves simple, 

 entire, opposite, rarely alternate or wanting, exstipulate. Inflorescence 

 various, usually of axillary umbel-like cymes. Flowers regular, perfect, 

 5-merous. Calyx-lobes imbricate. Corolla-lobes valvate or imbricate, the 

 tube or its throat with a ring of hairs, scales, or processes. Stamens at 

 the base of the corolla, the filaments united into a short fleshy tube which 

 encloses the pistil, and usually bearing a series of scales or processes forming 

 a crown; anthers cro*ing the column, connate or free, adnate to the stigma, 

 the tips often with an inflexed membrane, the pollen forming 1 or 2 granular 

 or waxy masses in each anther-cell. Ovary superior, of 2 distinct carpels, 

 enclosed within the staminal column; styles 2, united in the stigma; ovules 

 few to many. Fruit of 2 follicles, the seeds compressed-, usually flat, winged, 

 and crowned with a terminal coma of long, soft, white hairs. 



Genera 257, species about 2,000, in all parts of the- world, chiefly tropical, 

 21 genera and about 100 species in the Philippines. 



1. Filaments free, short; pollen of numerous loose granules, each granule 

 formed of 3 or 4 pollen-grains. 

 2. Glabrous vines with large purple flowers; cultivated only. 



1. Cryptostegia 

 2. Pubescent vines with minute flowers 2. Streptocaulon 



