690 



Oedbb 97.— ABCLKPIADACB^. 



setaceous, elongated. — Shrub with numeroua, slender, straggling branches, Very 

 leafy, forming light masses of evergreen foliage, flourishing best beneath the sha(le 

 of other plants. Leaves 2 to 3' in length, shining, rounded or somewhat cordate 

 at base. Flowers blue, appearing in May and June, f Eur. 



5. WE'RIUffl, L. Oleander. (Gr. vrjpb^, damp; referring to the 

 locality of the plants.) Calyx with S teeth at the base outside of the 

 corolla; corolla hypoorateriform, segments contorted, orifice with a 

 corona consisting of 6, laoiniate leaflets ; filaments inserted into the 

 middle of ^the tube; anthers sagittate, adhering to the stigma by the 

 middle. — Oriental shrubs. Lvs. evergreen, opposite or ternate. 



N. Olednder L. Lvs. lanceolate, acute at each end ; corona segm. of 3 to 

 4 lance-acuminate teeth. — In the greenhouse and shrubberies. St. regularly 

 branched. Lvs. commonly 3 together, on short stalks, smooth, very entire, cori- 

 aceous, with prominent, transverse veins beneath. Pis. terminal, corymbcus, 

 large and beautiful rose-colored. One variety has white flowers, another varie- 

 gated, and a third double. This splendid shrub is common in Palestine (Rev. S. 

 Hebard), growing by rivulets, &c. It is supposed to be the plant to which the 

 Psalmist alludes, Ps. i. 3, and xxxvii. 35. 



Order XCVII. ASCLEPIADACE^. Asclepiads. 



Plcmts (chiefly herbs in the United States) with n mUky juice, often twining. 



Leaves opposite (rarely whorled or scattered), 



l6 //IJmiL.1.. without stipules, entire, ii'towers generally 



umbellate, 5-parted, regular, the sepals and 



iV^^ rS SI y^^^^^^P'^^i^^ ^^° *^® petafe united at base, both valvate 



C^ I if /^^^zJJ' v^ /p*™^ in estivation. Stamens united, adherent 



to and covering the fleshy mass of the two 



united stigmas. Pollen cohering in masses. 



Ovaries 2, forming foUicles in fruit. 



«\ /C^-^\ )/ \\i 1 Genera 141, ftpecies 910, chiefly natives of tvopi- 



ct\ j^^^AYiI '"^ ^^ regions, and especially abundant in S. Afriea, 



^-^ A^--^^Li^ ^. India and New Holland, but are not uncommon 



in temperate regions. 



O^ \'J^ 'i!^^^^^ Properties. — Similar to those of the Apocyna- 



//^vft ^>^ \viW§ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ active. The juice is acrid and 



I! 'lyi W_w vaJE/ generally to be, at least, suspected. A few of the 



species are medicinal, but none of much conse- 



i ^ ///flllM quence. 



6 j7 ?:'%%. ^)M\1u^ fig. 670. — ^1. Asclepiuscornuti, 2. Aflower, the 



^ petals .and sepals reflcxed, and the corona erect 



8. One of the set'ments of the corona with the 



horn bent inwardly. 4. A pair of pollen masses 



suspended from the glands, o. A mature follicle. 



6. Vertical section of P. phytolacoiaes showing 



T b ^{K^ ly^ I rcT^ the2ovaries. 7. Lobeandhornofthe corona. 



I ^.-^ir IM I IK|4 



TRIBES AND GENERA. 



I. PEEIPLOOEjE. Filaments distinct. PoUinia single (not in pairs), granular. (*) 



* Anthers bearded on the back. PoUinia 5. Stem twining Pkp.iploca. 1 



II. ABCLEPIADEjB. Eilaments connate. PoUinia 10, in pairs, pendulous, vertical, (a) 



a Hoods each sheathing a little horn. Petals reflexed Asolepias. 2 



a Hoods of the crown destitute of a horn, (b) 



b Petals reflexed. Hoods erect, adnate to the anthers Acerates. .t 



b Petals expanding. Hoods ascending, free from anthers Anantdep.ix. 4 



b Petals erect.— Plant erect. Anther head pedicellate Podobtigma. 6 



— Platats twining. Crown fleshy retuse Sbnteea. C 



—Plant twining. Crown thin, 2-awncd Ehblihia. 7 



