314 
LXII. ASCLEPIADACEJE 
Corona composed of usually 5 distinct or united, variously shaped 
scales attached to the staminal tube or in Gryptolepis only to the 
corolla-tube. Stamens 5, inserted near the base of the corolla ; 
filaments flat, united in a short tube enclosing the pistils or in 
Cryptolepis only free ; anthers 2-celled, coherent round the stigma, 
the pollen of each cell agglutinated in a small, ovoid, pollen mass 
of wax-like consistency, granular only in Gryptolepis ; anther-tips 
membranous, produced, except in Ceropegia , usually indexed over 
the stigma. Carpels 2, free at least near the base ; styles short, 
more or less cohering ; stigmas terminal, united in a 5-angled disk 
bearing at each corner a small, hard, dark-coloured gland or 
corpuscle attached to the pollen mass on each side of it ; the ten 
pollen masses being thus united in five pairs, the members of each 
pair derived from different but contiguous anthers ; ovules 
numerous in each carpel. Fruit of two distinct follicles usually 
diverging from their base, one occasionally abortive ; seeds 
numerous, small, crowned with a tuft of long hairs. — A large 
Order chiefly inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions. — Ascle- 
pias was the classical name of Gynanchum Vincetoxicum ; derived 
from Asclepiades, the Greek form of the Latin Aesculapius, a 
famous physician. 
The flowers are curiously adapted to facilitate cross-fertilisation by insects ; 
see Muller’s Fertilisation of Flowers, p. 396. 
The structure of the flowers of this Order is difficult to understand from a 
description, and most of the hill species have flowers too small for easy dissec- 
tion. The flowers of the Mudar, Calotropis, very common in the plains and 
occasionally met with in the lower valleys, are better suited for the purpose and 
are well described by Muller. 
Stems erect. 
Corolla-tube very short. 
Flowers f-1 in. diam., pink, spotted with purple 
Flowers less than f in. diam., yellow .... 
Corolla-tube f-1 in. long. Flowers dark red-purple 
Stems twining or climbing. 
Flowers orange, ^ in. diam. ...... 
Flowers purple. 
Leaves l|-3 in. broad. Flowers ■ 1-1J in. diam., silvery 
white outside ....... 
Leaves TTT - 4 in. broad. Flowers ^ in. diam. 
Flowers waxy white, tinged with pink, f-1 in. diam. Leaves 
fleshy, 2-5 X $-1 in. ..... 
Flowers yellow, pale green or green- yellow. 
Coronal scales attached to the corolla-tube closing its 
mouth. Filaments free . . . . 
Coronal scales attached to the staminal tube. Fila- 
ments united. 
Corolla-tube f in. long, dilated at the base . 
Corolla-tube very short, not dilated. 
Corona longer than the staminal tube. 
Leaves 2-3 in. broad. Corolla fringed . 
2. Calotropis. 
5. Cynanchum. 1 
10. Ceropegia. 
6. Marsdenia. 
4. Holostemma. 
8. TylopJiora , 2 
9. Hoya. 
1. Cryptolepis. 
7. Pergularia. 
3. Dcemia . 
1 C. Vincetoxicum and C. glaucum. 
T . tenerrima only. 
