GENUS 3. 



MADDER FAMILY. 



255 



3. CEPHALANTHUS L. Sp. PI. 95. 1753. 



Shrubs, or small trees, with opposite or verticillate short-petioled entire leaves, and 

 terminal or axillary, densely capitate, bracteolate small white or yellow flowers. Calyx-tube 

 obpyramidal, its limb with 4 obtuse lobes. Corolla tubular-funnel form, with 4 short erect 

 or spreading lobes. Stamens 4, inserted on the throat of the corolla; filaments very short; 

 anthers oblong, 2-cuspidate at the base. Ovary 2-celled ; ovules solitary in each cavity, pen- 

 dulous; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate. Fruit dry, obpyramidal, i-2-seeded. Endo- 

 sperm cartilaginous; cotyledons linear-oblong. [Greek, head-flower.] 



About 6 species, natives of America and Asia. The following, here taken as typical, is the only 

 one known to occur in North America, unless the southwestern and Mexican plant proves to be 

 distinct. 



i. Cephalanthus occidentalis L. Button- 

 bush. Button-tree. Honey-balls. 

 Globe-flower. Fig. 3923. 



Cephalanthus occidentalis L. Sp. PI. 95. 1753. 



A shrub 3-i2 high, or sometimes a tree, 

 up to 20 high, with opposite or verticillate 

 leaves and branches, glabrous, or somewhat 

 pubescent. Leaves petioled, ovate or oval, en- 

 tire, acuminate or acute at the apex, rounded 

 or narrowed at the base, 3'-6' long, i'-2*' wide ; 

 peduncles i'-3' long; heads globose, about i' 

 in diameter, the receptacle pubescent ; flowers 

 sessile, white, 4"-6" long; style very slender, 

 about twice the length of the corolla; calyx- 

 tube prolonged beyond the ovary. 



In swamps, and low grounds, New Brunswick 

 to western Ontario and Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, 

 Arizona and California. Pond dogwood. Button- 

 wood shrub. Box. Pin-ball. Little snowball. 

 Button- or crane willow. Swamp-wood. River- 

 or crouper-bush. June-Sept. 



4. MI'TCHELLA L. s p . PI. m. 1753. 



Creeping herbs, with opposite petioled, entire or undulate, evergreen leaves, and white 

 axillary or terminal peduncled geminate dimorphous flowers, their ovaries united. Calyx- 

 tube ovoid, the limb 3-6-lobed (usually 4-lobed). Corolla funnelform, usually 4-lobed, the 

 lobes recurved, bearded on the inner side. Stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla and 

 inserted on its throat ; filaments short and style exserted, or filaments exserted and style short. 

 Ovary 4-celled ; stigmas 4, short, filiform; ovules I in each cavity, erect, anatropous. Fruit 

 composed of 2 united drupes usually containing 8 roundish nutlets. Seed erect ; cotyledons 

 short, obtuse ; embryo minute. [Named after Dr. John Mitchell, botanist and correspondent 

 of Linnaeus in Virginia.] 



Two species, the following typical one North American, the other Japanese. 



i. Mitchella repens L. Partridge-berry. Twin-berry. Fig. 3924. 



s. /f /f^ Mitchella repens L. Sp. PI. in. 1753. 



Stems slender, trailing, rooting at the 

 nodes, 6'-i2' long, branching, glabrous, or 

 very slightly pubescent. Leaves ovate-or- 

 bicular, petioled, obtuse at the apex, round- 

 ed or somewhat cordate at the base, 3"-io" 

 long, pinnately veined, dark green, shining; 

 peduncles shorter than the leaves, bearing 

 2 sessile white flowers at the summit; co- 

 rolla 5 "-6" long; drupes red (rarely white), 

 broader than high, 2' -4" in diameter, per- 

 sistent through the winter, edible. 



In woods, Nova Scotia to Florida, west to 

 western Ontario, Minnesota, Arkansas and 

 Texas. April-June, sometimes flowering a 

 second time in the autumn. Hive- or squaw- 

 vine. Checker-berry. Deer-berry. Fox- or box- 

 berry. Partridge-vine. Winter-clover. Chicken-, 

 cow-, pigeon-, snake- or tea-berry. Two-eyed- 

 or one-berry. Squaw-plum. Leaves often whit- 

 ish-veined ; flower-buds pink. Ascends to 5000 

 ft. in Virginia. 



