ASCI'DIA, a genus of Molluscous Animals belonging to Cuvier's order of Acerbate without Shells. Savigny has considered these animals sufficiently important to constitute a class under the name of Ascedies (A acidic); while Lamarck has also formed them with others into a class under the name of Tuniciers (Tenicata). [TeNicsvAl ASCLEPIADATEtE,. .Asclepiads, a natural order of Exogenous Plants, known from all others by the single character of its grains of pollen adhering together within a sort of bag which occupies the whole of the inside of each cell of the anther ; and when it falls out sticks to glands of a peculiar character occupying the angles of the stigma. Independently of this circumstance the anther and, stigma adhere firmly together, and the fruit is a very curious body, consisting of two carpels, which, when young, are parallel to each other, and united at the point ; but when ripe are both on the same plane, point ing in different directions, and shedding a large quantity of seed, the ends of which terminate in long down.
The most important and typical genus of this order is Asclepias. It consists of shrubs or herbaceous plants, abounding in an acrid and usually milky juice, and found in their greatest abundance in tropical countries, but rarely in cold latitudes. At the Cape of Good Hope
they form a singular stunted deformed vegetation, in the form of the leafless succulent stapelins, the flowers of which are among the most fetid productions of the vegetable kingdom. A great many species of Asdepies inhabit North America, and for their beauty are fre quently cultivated in Europe, especially the orange-coloured Asclepias tuberosa. Their roots are acrid and stimulating, and usually emetic. Their flowers have curious' horned ',racemes added to the corolla. [Asctsmaa] The roots of the whole order appear to be acrid and stimulating, and some of them, as Tyloplrora astlimatica and &commie (ndica are employed as emetics. The Cow.Plant of Ceylon, or Kiriaghuna Plant (Gymnema lactiferum), yields a milk which the Cingalese make use of as food. Species of Cronehum act as purgatives. The leaves of &denastemma Aryd are used in Egypt for adulterating senna. Several species yield canutehouc, whilst others afford indigo.
(Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom.)