GENUS I. 



STAFF-TREE FAMILY. 



491 



i. Euonymus americanus L. Strawberry 

 Bush. Fig. 2797. 



Euonymus americanus L. Sp PI. 197. 1753. 



A shrub, 2-8 high, with 4-angled and ash-colored 

 twigs, divaricately branching. Leaves ovate-lanceo- 

 late or oblong-lanceolate, thick, ii'~3' long, i'-i' 

 wide, acuminate at the apex, acute or obtuse at the 

 base, nearly sessile, crenulate, glabrous, or sparingly 

 hairy on the veins beneath; peduncles 6" -12" long, 

 very slender, i-3-flowered ; flowers greenish, s"-6" 

 broad ; petals separated, the blade nearly orbicular, 

 erose or undulate, the claw short ; capsule slightly 

 3-5-lobed, not angular, depressed, tuberculate. 



In low woods, southern New York to Florida, Illinois, 

 Nebraska and Texas. June. Bursting-heart. Fish-wood. 

 Burning bush. 



Euonymus obovatus Nutt. Running Strawberry Bush. Fig. 2798. 



Euonyni""! obovatus Nutt. Gen. i : 155. 1818. 



Euonymus americanus var. obovatus T. & G. ; A. 

 Gray, Gen. 2: 188. 1849. 



A low decumbent shrub, seldom rising over a 

 foot from the ground, branching, rooting from 

 the prostrate twigs. Branches 4-angled or slightly 

 winged ; leaves obovate or elliptic-obovate, rather 

 thin, mostly acute or cuneate at the base, obtuse 

 at the apex, finely crenulate-serrulate, i'-2 r long, 

 i'-ii' wide, glabrous; petioles i"-2" long; pe- 

 duncles i-4-flowered ; flowers greenish, smaller 

 than in the preceding species, about 3" broad ; 

 petals generally 5, nearly orbicular, crenulate or 

 erose, close together or even slightly overlapping, 

 with scarcely any claw ; capsule commonly 3-cell- 

 ed, slightly lobed, depressed, tuberculate. 



In low woods, southern Ontario to Pennsylvania, 

 northern New Jersey ( ?), Illinois, Michigan, and 

 Kentucky. Blooms earlier than E. americanus. 

 April-May. 



3. Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. Burning Bush. Wahoo. Fig. 2799. 



Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. Hort. Vind. 2 : 5. 

 pi. 120. 1772. 



A shrub or small tree, 6-25 high. Twigs 

 obtusely 4-angled; leaves ovate-oblong or 

 elliptic, ii'-s' long, \'-z\' wide, acuminate at 

 the apex, acute or obtuse at the base, puberu- 

 lent, especially beneath, crenulate-serrulate, 

 rather thin; petioles 4" -8" long; peduncles 

 very slender, i'-2' long, bearing a trichoto- 

 mous S-iS-flowered cyme ; pedicels 3"-6" long ; 

 flowers purple, s"-6" broad; petals commonly 

 4, obovate, undulate ; capsule smooth, deeply 

 3-4-lobed, 6"-8" broad. 



Ontario to Florida, Montana, Nebraska and 

 Oklahoma. Wood nearly white ; weight per cubic 

 foot 41 Ibs. Indian-arrow. Strawberry-tree or 

 -bush. Bitter-ash. Arrow-wood. Spindle-tree. 

 June. 



