Am,juiyr,"i893arm'}      Strophanthus  Seed  of  Commerce.  349 
in  some  species  are  lateral  ;  the  corolla  is  usually  of  a  more  or  less 
yellowish  tinge,  spotted  or  lined  with  purplish-red  in  the  tube  or 
throat  of  the  flower.  The  blossom  may  be  likened  to  a  tobacco 
blossom,  but  has  the  remarkable  peculiarity  that  each  lobe  of  the 
corolla  ends  in  a  long  pendent  thread  varying  in  length  from 
2  to  6  inches  or  more.  At  the  base  of  each  lobe  and,  therefore, 
in  the  throat  of  the  corolla  are  small  linear  or  triangular  appen- 
dages arranged  in  pairs.  These  are  longer  in  flowers  in  which 
the  pendent  threads  of  the  corolla  lobes  are  short.  The  fruit  con- 
sists of  two,  more  or  less  cylindrical,  pods  or  follicles  containing 
brownish  or  greenish,  usually  hairy,  seeds  terminated  by  an  awn 
from  one-half  to  three  or  more  inches  long,  crowned  by  a  tuft  of 
hair  of  from  one  to  two  inches  or  more  in  length  and  diameter. 
The  curious  filamentous  petals  and  plumose  arrow-like  seeds  are 
the  readiest  means  of  recognizing  the  species  of  the  genus. 
The  African  species  of  Strophanthus  are  divided  by  Dr.  Pax  into 
several  sections,  according  to  the  character  of  the  leaves. 
(1)  Hispidi. — Plants  with  hairy  leaves  and  prominent  secondary 
veins,  transversely  sub-parallel  between  the  primary  veins. 
This  section  includes  S.  hispidus,  A. DC,  ^.  Kombe,  Oliv.,  and  5. 
Eminiy  Asch.  and  Pax. 
5.  hispidus  is  characterized  by  its  membranous  leaves  and  linear 
calyx  segments,  equalling  in  length  the  corolla  tube.  In  6\  Kombe 
the  calyx  teeth  are  similar  but  shorter  than  the  corolla,  and  the 
seeds  are  greenish,  not  dark  brown,  as  in  5.  hispidus.  The  leaves 
also  are  stouter.  In  6\  hmini  the  calyx  segments  are  broad,  sub- 
foliaceous,  and  obtuse,  and  the  inflorescence  is  lateral. 
II.  Acuminati.— Leaves  prominently  hairy  on  the  under  surface 
only,  and  the  secondary  veins  not  parallel. 
This  group  includes  vS.  Ledieni,  Stein,  and  S.  Bullenianus,  Mast. 
In  the  former  the  flowers  precede  the  leaves,  and  the  corolla  lobes 
are  six  times  longer  than  the  tube.  In  the  latter  the  flowers  are  pro- 
duced on  leafy  shoots  and  the  corolla  lobes  are  only  twice  as  long 
as  the  tube. 
III.  Tomentosi. — The  leaves  are  small,  hairy  on  both  sides,  and 
the  secondary  veins  are  not  parallel. 
This  section  contains  only  one  species,  S.  Schuchardti,  Pax,  which 
has  the  smallest  leaves  of  any  species  of  the  genus.  The  leaves  are 
densely  hairy. 
