ASCLETIAS VIRGA'TA. 
■rW'IGOY SWALLOW- WORT. 
Class. 
PENTANDRIA. 
Order. 
DIGYNIA. 
Natural Ordvr. 
ASCLEPIADACE>E. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration 
Introduced 
N. America. 
2 feet. 
July, Aug. 
Perennial. 
in 1820. 
No. 974. 
Asclepias is a somewhat important name for a 
plant, being, as it is reasonably supposed, derived 
from jEsculapius, “ whom both the Greeks and 
Gentiles say that he was the first that found out 
physic, wherefore they honoured him as a god. ’ 
The name Swallow-wort was given by the old 
herbalists to the officinal species of this genus, 
from a fancied resemblance of the pod, or its 
feathered seed, to a swallow. The officinal plant 
— the Asclepias (Cynauchum ) vincetoxicum, is 
generally believed to be the very herb which the 
Greek herbalists, centuries i)rior to the Christian 
era, esteemed as their sovereign antidote to poison. 
Asclepias rirgata is a North American plant, of 
comparatively late discoveiy, which was first made 
known by Balbis, in his garden catalogue. It 
makes a pretty border plant, and is rarely met 
with. Both this and also Asclepias tuberosa, (No. 
78) should have a place in every collection. It 
should be remembered, that when the tap root of 
the latter plant has taken firm hold, by descending 
to the depth of a foot and a half or more, disturb- 
ance may prove fatal. 
