426 
terete, the branches and shoots frequently sharply 4-angled ( var. 
guadrangularis A. Gray), climbing from 10 to 20 feet, often form- 
ing dense thickets. Prickles scattered, stout, straight or a little 
recurved, sometimes black at the apex, often wanting on the 
branches. Petiole 3/’-6’’ long, sheathed from 1% to % of its length, 
the sheath with narrow, membranous, even or ciliolate margins. 
Blade rotund or ovate, varying to lanceolate, abruptly acute or 
acuminate and cuspidate at the apex, rounded or cordate at the 
base, smooth on the margins or often erosely denticulate as well 
as on the nerves beneath and on the petiole (especially in 
var. crenulata, Small and Heller), 2’/-6’ long and 10-6’ wide, 
5-nerved, or sometimes with an obscure marginal nerve on each 
side, also often lineolate and always punctate. The young leaves 
are usually quite thin, while the older are coriaceous, green and 
shining on both surfaces. The oldest often become very large, 
orbicular, and remain evergreen on the plant over winter. ren 
duncles 3/12” long, flattened, 6-25-flowered. Peclicels 1/’-4" 
long. Flowers greenish yellow. Perianth segments oblong, © 
acute, often 1—nerved, pubescent at the tip and sometimes along 
the edges, about 2” long. Anther about % as long as the fila-, 
ment or less. Stigmas 3, linear, as long or nearly as long as the 
ovary ; ovary 3-celled, each cell 2-ovuled. Berries from 5 to 8 in 
number, bluish-black, globose, about 3/’ in diameter, 1-3-seeded. 
A peculiar form was collected by the late Dr. Vasey in 
Washington, D.C., which has rather thin, exactly orbicular leaves, 
214’ in diameter, male perianth with segments 3/’-314” long, % 
to % longer than the stamens, some of the anthers as long as the 
filament, female flowers with segments 2” long, and an Ovary 
apparently with only 1 ovule in each cell. : 3 
Dry or moist thickets. Ontario to Florida and Texas, west tess 
Arkansas and Minnesota. April-June. : 
6. SMiLax HisPIDA Muhl.; Torr. Fl. N. Y. 2: 302 (1843): 
Smilax hispida Muhi. Cat. (1813), name only. ee 
Glabrous. Stem terete below, subterete or angular on the © 
branches, commonly thickly hispid with numerous slender, 
straight spines of different lengths, which are often black, occ” 
sionally flat, sometimes 4 long. Petiole 4-9” Jong, rarely — 
denticulate, the stipular sheath with broad membranous denticur 
late margins covering from \% to % half its length. Blade thin, 
green on both sides, broad-ovate, obtuse or subcordate at baes: 
cuneate at the petiole, abruptly acute and cuspidate at the: 4p; 
_ rarely destitute of denticulations on the margins and nerves 9 
neath, lineolate, 7-9-nerved, 2’-5’ long, 1/-434’ wide. — Peduncl 
Ee oe 
