ANovimbe?,hi894m*}    The  Apocynacece  in  Materia  Medica.  541 
strangulated  at  distant  points.  The  branches  are  sometimes  quite 
large,  with  lenticels  in  the  young  state.  Leaves  opposite,  rarely 
verticillate,  with  venation  varying,  serving  for  their  classification. 
Upon  all  of  the  aerial  parts  exist  occasionally  hairs,  at  times  very 
fine,  at  other  times  large,  rigid,  with  a  persistent  bulb  at  the  base ; 
color  varying,  ordinarily  a  russet.  Regarding  the  flower,  the  differ- 
ences in- the  length  and  the  consistence  of  the  calyx,  the  length  of 
the  prolongations  of  the  corolla,  the  form  of  the  ligulary  lobes  and 
the  appendices  of  the  connectives,  are  the  characters  the  most 
important  to  consider  for  distinguishing  the  species. 
Fruit. — It  is  always  formed  of  two  ligneous  follicles,  more  or  less 
cylindrical  or  fusiform,  sometimes  lengthily  attenuated,  at  other 
times  terminating  quite  abruptly  and  the  size  very  various,  often  at- 
taining 0-5  m.  (hispidus).  The  two  carpels  diverging  at  the  proper 
time  and  united  solely  by  their  base.  They  form  with  each  other 
an  obtuse  angle,  or  the  one  being  horizontal,  form  even  an  angle 
turned  to  the  rear  {S.  divaricates).  The  summit  sometimes  bears 
the  modified  stigma  (S.  hispidus).  The  base  is  obtuse,  notched 
toward  the  insertion  of  the  peduncle. 
Externally,  the  fruit  shows  an  epicarp  of  a  deep  reddish-brown  or 
blackish-brown  color.  The  surface  sometimes  a  little  villous,  frequently 
strongly  wrinkled  longitudinally  by  the  drying,  and  in  the  majority 
of  the  species,  numerous  lenticels.  At  maturity,  the  fruit  opens  often 
by  a  long  line  longitudinally,  the  borders  of  the  carpel. leaves  turning 
back,  separating  little  by  little  and  leaving  the  seeds  escape.  The 
placenta  is  formed  by  two  plates  which  are  coalesced,  then  separate 
in  the  same  way  as  the  fruit,  and  describe  a  curve  parallel  to  the 
external  face  of  the  carpel.  The  placenta  is  yellowish  and  more  or 
less  papyraceous. 
The  endocarp  is  constituted  by  a  tough  plate,  yellowish,  smooth, 
which  ordinarily  easily  separates  from  the  exterior  region.  The 
natives  generally  remove  the  epicarp,  and  the  fruit  is  then  reduced 
to  an  endocarp  containing  the  seeds. 
Anatomically,  the  pericarp  presents  an  analogous  structure  nearly 
everywhere,  the  external  region  is  rich  in  fascicles,  some  vessels,  the 
most  part  fibres,  surrounded  by  a  network  of  cells  in  which  are  the 
laticiferous  vessels,  ordinarily  filled  with  a  colored  substance.  The 
endocarp  is  entirely  sclerotic. 
Seed  is  formed  of  two  parts,  the  seed  or  grain  proper  and  the 
