LXXIX. APOCYNACEiE. 975 



the cells opening in longitudinal slits, either free and enclosed in a part of 

 the tube usually swollen, or sometimes exserted and connate or connivent in 

 a cone or ring round the style ; the pollen not collected in masses but the 

 auricles at the base of the anthers or the tips occasionally without pollen. 

 Ovary of 2 carpels usually distinct, sometimes united in a 2-celled ovary with 

 axile placentas or in a 1 -gelled ovary with 2 parietal placentas ; ovules several, 

 few or numerous in 2 or more rows. Style single or styles 2, distinct at the 

 base but united upwards ; stigma usually thickened, mitriform membranous 

 or bulbous at the base, terminating in a short entire or bifid point. Fruit 

 either a single drupe or berry, or more frequently each carpel forms a follicle 

 opening along the inner, edge or a drupe or berry. Seeds pendulous or rarely 

 ascending or peltately attached, often bearing a coma or tuft of long hairs, 

 usually albuminous ; embryo straight, with flat or rarely convolute cotyledons. 

 — Trees, shrubs, or twiners or very rarely perennial herbs, the juice frequently 

 milky. Leaves opposite or whorled, very rarely alternate, entire, without 

 any or with small almost gland-like intrapetiolar or interpetiolar stipules. 

 Flowers usually cymose, on simple or compound and paniculate peduncles, 

 axillary or terminal. Bracts at the base of the branches of the inflorescence 

 and of the pedicels usually very small, rarely larger, coloured and deciduous ; 

 bracteoles on the pedicels none or very rare and small. 



The Order is abundantly represented in the tropical and subtropical regions of the New and 

 the Old World, with a very few species in the more temperate districts of the northern and 

 southern hemispheres, but does not extend to arctic or high alpine regions. The Order is 

 closely allied to Asclepiadete, differing chiefly in the indefinite free pollen-granules. — Benth. 



Teibe I. Carlsseee. — Anthers included, free from the stigma ; cells rounded at the base. 

 Ovary of 2 wholly combined carpels, 1 or 2-celled. Fruit large, usually fleshy or pulpy within. 

 Seeds without wing or pencil of hairs. Corolla-lohes overlapping to the left in all. 



Ovary 1-celled with 2 parietal placentas. Tall woody climbers. Fruit a 

 berry. Seeds albuminous 1. Chilooakpus. 



Ovary 2-eelled, with axile placentas. Fruit a berry or drupe. 

 Throat of the corolla with a corona of scales sometimes united in a 



ring. Tall woody climbers 2. Melodinus. 



No corona. Erect trees or shrubs, often spinous 3. Caeissa. 



Thibe II. PlumerleaB. — Anthers included, free from the stigma ; cells rounded at the base. 

 Ovary of 2 distinct carpels united by the style. Fruit various. Seeds peltate. Corolla-lobes 

 overlapping to the left in Ochrosia. 

 Placentas almost dividing each carpel into 2 cells. Leaves long alternate 



or crowded. Bracts large, deciduous. Flowers large 5. Cerbeba. 



Placentas scarcely prominent. Leaves mostly whorled. Bracts small. 

 Drupes small, 1-seeded or of 2 or more 1-seeded articles, the endooarp 



not thick 4. Alyxia. 



Drupes rather large, the endooarp of 2 bony longitudinal parallel lobes 



hollow inside, with 1 or 2 flat seeds between them 6. Ocheosia. 



Ovules 2-seriate. Disk of 2 scales. Seeds truncate at both ends . , . 7. *Vinca. 

 Ovules numerous. Fruit follicular, dehiscent or without any hardened 

 endocarp. 

 Follicles long and linear, dehiscent. Seeds bordered by hairs, very long 

 at one or both ends. Erect trees or shrubs. Leaves whorled or 



opposite .... 8. AiiSTONiA. 



Follicles short, usually pulpy and scarcely dehiscent. Seeds without 

 hairs. Erect trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite 9. Tabern^emontasa. 



Tribe III. Echitldese. — Anthers included or exserted, conniving in a cone around the top 

 of the style and adherent to it by a point on the connective ; cells produced downwards into a 

 subulate empty spur. Ovary of 2 distinct carpels united by the style. Fruit of 2 follicles. Seeds 

 comose at one or both ends. 



Throat of the corolla with a corona of scales sometimes united in a ring. 



Carpels distinct or nearly so. Coma at the end furthest from the hilum 12. Weightia. 

 No corona. Carpels united in a 2-celIed ovary. Coma at the hilum. 



Corolla-lobes valvate in the bud 10. Lyonsia. 



Corolla-lobes imbricate in the bud 11. I-'aesonsia. 



Follicles long and linear, dehiscent. Seeds with a coma at tbn hiHim. 



Tall woody climber. Leaves opposite , .13. IchnoCakpi-s. 



