N. 0. ASCLEPIADE.E. 833 



acute or apiculate, rarely elliptic-lanceolate ; base acute, rounded 

 or cordate. In some varieties, the leaves are subsessile, very 

 narrowly linear, 4-8 by f-iin. In a third variety, the leaves 

 are 4-5 by I'm., shortly petioled, linear-lanceolate. Peduncle 

 |-lin., 3-5fid. Pedicels short. Calyx minute ; sepals j '\n. long. 

 Corolla small, straight, rarely lin. long, narrow, greenish, base 

 moderately inflated, mouth obtusely 5-angled ; lobes short, 

 narrow, erect, fleshy, linear from a triangular base, villous within ; 

 i | the length of the tube, purple within. Corona glabrous, 

 lobes minute, or obsolete ; processes filiform, straight. Follicles 

 4in. long, slender, terete ; pericarp thin. Seeds fin. long, linear 

 oblong, wing membranous. 



The part used : — The tubers. 



Use: — The tubers of this and several other species of Ceropegia 

 are used and considered to be tonic and digestive. The au- 

 thors of the Pharmaeographia Indica (Vol. II., p. 456) write : — 

 "The tubers when boiled lose their bitterness, and pulped with 

 milk form a sweet mucilaginous mixture not unlike Salep, which, 

 judging from their chemical composition, should be highly 

 nutritious." 



The drug is used in Behar in colds and eye-diseases to 

 cause sneezing ; dose : gr. 1 to \ dram. (Irvine). 

 The tubers yielded on analysis- 

 Moisture ... ... ... ... ... 5*25 



Fab ... ... ... ... ... ... 3-30 



Sugar, Gum, &e ... ... ... ... ...23*40 



Albuminoids ... ... ..- ... ... 3*48 



Starch ... ... ... ... ... ... 42'52 



Crude fibre ... ... ... ... ... 1264 



Ash ... ... ... ... ... ... 943 



100-00 

 The bitter principle of the tubers is an Alkaloid, Ceropcgine, soluble in 

 ether, Alcohol and water. The total nitrogen afforded by burning with soda 

 lime was 0*55 per cent. The ash contains Manganese, and is constituted 

 as follows : — 



Soluble in water ... ... ... ... ... 617 



Soluble in Acid ... ... ... ... ... 14 9 



Insoluble ... ... ... ... ... 23'4 



1000 

 [Pharmaeographia Indica, Vol. II— p. 457.] 

 105 



