54 



ON THE ASCLEFIADEiE. 



ASTEPHANUS. [Apocyni sp. Lin.fil. et Thun. 



Char. Corolla subcampanulata, fauce tuboque 

 esquamatis. 



Corona st amine a nulla. 



Anthera membrana terminatae. 



Mas so; pollinis pendulae. 



Stigma caudatum, v. muticum. 



Folliculi 



Habitus. Plants perennes, saepius volubiles. 

 Folia opposita. 



Umbellde interpetiolares. Flores parvi. 

 Patria. Africa australis. 



Obs. This generic character is formed from 

 Apocynum trifloriim and linear e, Linn, suppl., 

 and from two new species in the Banksian 

 collection. Apocynum cordatum and lan- 

 ceolatum, Thunb. prod., probably likewise be- 

 long to the genus ; and I have modified the 

 character, to admit a very remarkable plant, 

 found by Mr Masson in South Africa, the 

 stem of which is shrubby with spinescent 

 branches, the leaves extremely minute, op- 

 posite, distant, and heartshaped. The corolla 

 rather urceolate than bellshaped ; the orifice 

 of the tube furnished with deflected hairs ; 

 the masses of pollen are fixed by their at- 

 tenuated apices ; the stigma is blunt ; the 

 folliculi nearly cylindrical and smooth, with 

 seeds of the usual structure. The whole ge. 



