asclepiadacese

pl. [ASCLEPIAS.] Asclepiads. An order of plants closely allied to the Apocynaceæ, or Dogbanes. Lindley places them under his alliance Solan a les. They have a 5-divided persistent calyx; a monopetalous 5-lobed regular corolla; 5 stamina, with the filaments usually connate; anthers 2-sometimes almost 4-celled; the pollen at length cohering in ma es, or sticking to 5 proce es of the stigma; styles 2; stigma 1, tipping both styles, dilated, 5-cornered; ovaries, 2; fruit, 2 follicles, of which one is sometimes abortive; seeds numerous. Shrubs, or more rarely herbs, almost always milky, and frequently twining. Leaves entire, opposite; flowers umbellate, fascicled, or racemose. Their favourite habitat is Africa. They occur also in India, and the tropics generally. In 1846 Lindley estimated the known species at 910; now fully 1,000 are known. The milk, which in some species furnishes caoutchouc, is usually acrid and bitter, through apparently not so deleterious as that of Apocynaceæ. That of Calo trop is gigantea, the akund, yercum, or mudar plant of India, has been used with effect in leprosy, elephantiasis, and some other diseases. The roots of Cynanchum to men to sum, and Periploca emetic a are emetic. Gymnema lactiferum is the Cow-plant of Ceylon [COW-PLANT]. Pergu lari a edulis and Periploca esculent a are eatable. Diplopepis vomitoria is expectorant and diaphoretic, and is used like ipecacuanha in dysentery. Hemidesmus Indica is the Indian Sarsaparilla [SARSAPARILLA]. The leaves of Cynanchum Argel are used in Egypt for adulterating senna. Marsdenia tenaci ima is employed for bowstrings by the mountaineers of Rajmahal, whilst M. tinct or i a and Gymnema tingens yield an indigo of excellent quality. (Lindley.) [ASCLEPIAS.]