422 2 
ering about one-half of the seed. This has to my eyes all the 
appearance of a true aril, as it looks like a growth formed subse- 
quently to the fertilization. Seeds with a brownish shining some- 
times rough test, enclosing a hard, horny, white albumen, at the 
tubercular end of which lies a minute, straight embryo, more or 
less remote from the hilum. When there is only a single seed it 
is spherical, when several they are hemispherical or present two — 
faces running to an edge, with convex backs. 
The rootstocks are, in many of the species, at least, tuberous, 
throwing out firm fibrous roots, These will be noticed in the 
specific descriptions. 
The prophylla or bud scales are numerous upon the tubers, 
the rootstocks and the lower part of the stems, occurring also 
under each branch. They are semi-amplexicaul, thick, ovate, 
and seldom expand into true leaves until the plant is fully devel- 
oped. 5 ce . 
The prickles do not furnish characters to be depended upon. 
They may always be presumed to be present normally in the woody 
species, but owing to poverty of growth or other circumstances, 
they are often wanting, especially on the branches and branchlets. 
Frequently species that produce them abundantly in some plants 
will be entirely destitute of them in others. They may be stout. 
and strong, or weak, straight or a little recurved, terete or flat, 
numerous or scanty, white‘or black-tipped, and that in the same — 
species. The only specific character to be drawn from the prickles: . 
lies in the shape, being acicular or needle-shaped in some species — 
and broad-based and stout in others. When a species of this — 
group is said in the following descriptions to be unarmed, it must 
be understood that only the specimens examined are unarmed. . 
* Stems annual, herbaceous, unarmed. 
I, SMILAX HERBACEA L, Sp. Pl. 1030 (1753). 
S. pulverulenta Michx. Fl. Bor. Am, 2: 238 (1803). 
S. peduncularis Willd. Sp. Pl. 4: 786 (1806). ee 
__ S\ lasioneuron Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 173 (between 1834 ca x 
1840). ee 
_-- Coprosmanthus herbaceus and C. peduncularis Kunth, ee 
Se abe idea. | ee 
