ON THE APOCINE^. 235 



ring of the faux, and E. glandulosa Fl. Perm, which ac- 

 cording to the figure has a crown of 5 entire laciniee and 

 the segments of the corolla equal-sided, must be excluded 

 from this genus. E. siphilitica, the specimen of which in 

 the Linnean Herbarium I have seen but not sufficiently 

 examined, is somewhat doubtful. E. floribunda, corymbosa 

 and spicata are removed to another genus. The two re- 

 markable species of South Africa, E. bispinosa and succu- 

 lenta, require further examination ; for their peculiar habit 

 indicates their being a distinct genus from Echites, which 

 it would be desirable to limit to the species of tropical 

 America : hence it will be necessary to re-examine certain 

 plants of India that in many respects agree with this genus, 

 especially Tsjeria-pupal-valli of Bheed, Med. 7, p. 103, t. 55, 

 which appears to differ from Echites chiefly in having a 

 calyx longer than the tube of the corolla, in the scales sur- 

 rounding the ovarium being united, (which, however, is [si 

 also the case in E. Domingensis,) and in the greater quan- 

 tity and density of the albumen, which is between fleshy 

 and cartilaginous. 



The authors of the " Elora Peruviana " have reformed 

 the character of Echites, but the scales which they describe 

 between the calyx and corolla will certainly not materially 

 assist in distinguishing this genus from those most nearly 

 related to it ; and I have observed a nearly similar struc- 

 ture in most of the genera of this family, as well as of 

 Asclepiadese : these scales, however, truly belong to the 

 calyx, and are either five or ten in number, or more rarely 

 consist of an uninterrupted series of cilise, not unlike those 

 which so frequently occur within the footstalks of the leaves. 

 My observations are not sufficiently numerous to enable me 

 to determine whether their modifications might not gene- 

 rally assist in characterizing genera, and I have, therefore, 

 very seldom had recourse to them. 



ICHNOCARPUS. 



Char. Corolla hypocrateriformis,limbi laciniis dimidiatis, 

 fauce tuboque esquamatis. 



