above (as in Periploceae). Fruit follicular, follicles 2 or 1, by abortion-; placenta attached to
the suture, separting in dehiscence. Seeds numerous, imbricated, pendulous, almost always
comose at the hilum; albumen wanting or th in ; embryo straight; cotyledons foliaceous;
radicle superior; plumule inconspicuous.-;-Twining or erect shrubs with milky juice, or herbaceous,
or very succulent perennials with watery juice. Leaves entire, opposite, rarely whorled ;
often furnished, at the insertion, with glands or hairs in lieu of stipules. Inflorescence extra
axillary, racemose, corymbose or more generally umbelled. Flowers presenting various shades
of red, yellow, or white, but rarely blue; sometimes fragrant, occasionally, as in nearly the whole
tribe of Stapelieos> exceedingly fetid like carrion.
A f f i n i t i e s . Most Botanists coincide with Mr. Brown in viewing this order as very nearly
related to the preceding, the two principally differing in the peculiarities of their respective sexual
apparatus. Alphonse De Candolle even goes so far as to affirm that the only constant difference
between them is to be found in the pollen. In this, as stated above (see Apocynaceae), I can
scarcely coincide, viewing, as I do, the presence of corpuscules in this family as a more certain
character, the pollen of Crypotolepis being about as distinctly granular as that of most Apocy-
naceos. f t forms no objection to this view that in the section Periplocece the filaments are more
or less free and do not form a true gynostegium any more than in Apocynaceos, so long as they
all, in common with true Asclepiadece, have the stigmatie corpuscules, though in a modified form.
On these last, therefore, which are altogether wanting in Apocynaceos, I lay greater stress than
on the pollen, and the two together will, I believe, never disappoint us in determining to which
of the two orders any doubtful plant should be referred.
Lindley takes a very different view of the relationship these two orders bear to each other,
and places the one in his Gentianal the other in his Solanal alliance. He says, “It has already
been stated under the order of Dogbanes ( Apocynaceos), that the resemblances found between
that order and the Asclepiads seemed to be one of analogy rather than of real affinity, for the
economy of the flowers and. seeds of the two orders is widely different. The amygdaloidal
embryo of Asclepiads, with hardly a trace of albumen is entirely different from that of
Dogbanes, which is very small and furnished with abundant albumen. The anthers and stigma
of Dogbanes form no organic union, but they grow into one solid central mass in the Asclepiads,
whence proceed other physiological and structural peculiarities.” Again he says, “The reason
why these great Botanists (Brown and De Candolle) attach small importance to the albumen
as a distinction is doubtless because in certain Dogbanes, such as Cerbera, that secretion is absent,
although in the mass of the order it is most, abundant; but it is, I think, evident that, the
tendency among Dogbanes is to. form albumen in abundance, and that no such tendency exists
among Asclepiads.” For these reasons he separates these generally supposed very nearly allied
orders, placing the one, Apocynaceoe, between Gentianeos and Loganiacece, in the same
alliance with Ebenaceos and Ilicinecs, and the other, Asclepiadeos, between Convolvulacecs
and Solanaceos, in the same alliance with Oleacecs and Polemoneaceos; the former because
it has a tendency to form abundant albumen, the latter because no such tendency exists.
Guided by the light he himself throws on the subject, I am disposed to think he attaches
more importance to the existence or non-existence of albumen in theory than in practice, and
often, in the former case, more than its actual value, so far as, yet known, seems to justify.
The character, as regards albumen, of his Solanal Alliance is, “embryo lying in a small quantity
of albumen.” Those of its orders as follows: 1st. Oleacecs. “Seed with a dense, fleshy,
abundant albumen.” 2d. Solanaceos. “Embryo straight or curved, lying in a fleshy albumen.11
The figure which accompanies shows abundant albumen. 3d. Asclepiadeos. “Albumen thin.11
4th. Cordiaceoe. “Albumen none,” 5th. Convolvulacecs. “Seeds with a small quantity of
mucilaginous albumen.” 6th. Cuscuteos. “Seeds with fleshy albumen,” and lastly, Polemo-
neaceos. “Embryo straight in the axis of much fleshy albumen.” I would here ask, if albumen
is so important, on what principle is the first and last of these orders admitted into an alliance
in which it is in small quantity or altogether wanting ? But we can even go a step further,
and inquire on what grounds the section, Chionanthecs. of Oleacecs, which is nearly exalbumi-
nous, is permitted to retain its place in the order ? I would further remark, that, in addition
to several genera of Apocynaceos, being destitute of albumen, many have it sparingly- with a
large embryo. Similar discrepancies in regard to this point of the organization of plants, as
compared with other indications of relationship, being frequent, it occurs to me, the only
conclusion we can, in the present state of our knowledge, draw from them is, that the true
value of characters derived from the albumen is still undetermined and that it is, to say the
least, premature to attach to it so high a value as to break up generally recognized relationships,
merely on account of variations of this single point of the organization. In saying this,
I by no means wish to under estimate its value, as an ordinal or generic character, but adduce
the facts here stated in support of the opinion expressed above (pages 130 and 131), that in
groups higher than orders, it is a difficult subject to deal with, and requires to be used with
caution. Influenced by these considerations, I am not prepared to adopt Dr. Lindley’s views in
regard to the affinities of this order, which I still think, notwithstanding its deficient albumen,
much more nearly related to Apocynaceos than to Solanaceos, and moreover think, with
Endliclier and Meisner, that a group, composed of Oleacecs, Loganiacece, Gentianece, Apocy-
nacece, Asclepiadece, and Jasminece, constituting, as thus arranged, a nearly perfect circle, forms
a more natural association than those represented by either the Solanal or Gentianal alliances,
as they now stand in Lindley’s “Vegetable Kingdom,” the only considerable intervals being
between Oleacecs and Loganiacece. and Asclepiadeos and Jasminece, two orders, as already
mentioned, whose. immediate affinities are very obscure, but to my mind better placed here
than anywhere else. They all have regular flowers, dicarpellary ovaries, and more or less
copious albumen. Opposite leaves is the prevalent character of all, and nearly as much similarity
of habit and properties pervades the group, as a whole, as we find in any of the families
composing it.
Geographical D istribution. This is an order of great extent, including upwards of
1,000 species and has, over the warmer regions of the Earth, a proportionately extensive distribution.
In Asia, Africa, and America, they abound; several are natives of Australia and
the neighbouring islands, and a few extend to Europe. Africa, however, is considered the headquarters,
especially towards the southern promontory, where Stapelias are very numerous. In
America the species are also very numerous, two large genera, Asclepias and Gonolobus, are
principally confined to warmer North American States. Over India they are generally diffused,
extending from Cape Comorin to high on the Himalayas where one species of Ceropegia
luxuriates at an elevation of between 6,000 and 7,000 feet. In the peninsula, they are about
equally numerous on the plains and sub-alpine jungles, and several are found on the Neilgherries
at an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, among which may be mentioned species of
Ceropegia, Tylophora, Gymnema, Cynoctonum (formerly Cynanchum) . Several Stapeliecs
are common on the plains, thus associating the flora of India with that of Southern Africa.
The number of species found in India amounts, I believe, to between 200 and 300, and many
of them so common that they are met with everywhere, such as Calotropis, Tylophora,
Leptadenia, &c.
P roperties and Uses. The species of this family being, like their allies, the Apocynaceoe,
distinguished by the very general presence of milky juices, are characterized by the possession
of nearly similar properties. Acrimony is a general feature, hence many of them exhibit those
poisonous properties which, in a milder form, give rise to the drastic and emetic qualities, so
frequently met with in the order. In a few, these are so much reduced as to become innocuous,
and admit of their being used as esculents. Ceropegia edulis, and Oxystelma esculentum, judging
from their names, seem to be such. Sarcostemma (olim Cynanchum) vimenale is really
such, the young succulent ramuli yielding a large quantity of mild, milky,, acid juice, which
natives suck to allay thirst, or eat as a sort of sallad : the Gymnema lactiferum is spoken of as
the “cow plant of Ceylon,” a designation to which, I fear, it is not entitled, as it is my' belief,
it is neither more nor less than Gymnema sylvestre; in which case its milk-yielding capabilities
are vastly exaggerated. At the Cape, several species of Stapelia are eat both raw and cooked
by the Hottentots.. Those of this country are not, so far as I have heard, similarly employed,
but perhaps might be. The taste of one of them, which I tried, is a peculiar bitterish acid,