44 I'.AKHKHKV FAMILY. 



1. ASIMINA, PAl'AW of 1". S. (Creole name.) Petals frreonish or 

 yellowish, bccominj: dark dull purple a> they enlarge; the .3 inner Mnall. 

 1'istils few in tin- centre of tin- ^lol.iilar h''.id of anthers, making one or 

 mure large, oblong, pulpy fruits, sweet and eatable when over-ri]ie in autumn. 

 Flowers in early spring preceding the leaves. 

 A. triloba, COMMOV l'\i'\w (wholly different from the true T'apaw of W. 



Ind.), is a shrnh or small tree, wild W. , v : S. ;md sonietimes planted, with obo- 



vate-laneeolate leaves, and banana-shaped fruit :V-4' lon<_ r . 



A. parviflora is a -mall-flowered, and A. grandiflbra a large-flowered 

 species of S. !',. States, h<'.h -mall-fruited, and A. pygmaea is a dwarf one 

 with nearly evergreen leaves far South. 



4. MENISPERMACE^J, MOOXSEED FAMILY. 



AVoody or partly woody twiners, with small dioecious flowers; 

 their sepals and petals much alike, and one before the other (usu- 

 ally 6 petals before as many sepals) ; as many or 2-3 times as 

 many stamens; and 2- G pistils, ripening into 1 -seeded little stone- 

 fruits or drupes ; the stone curved, commonly into a wrinkled 01 

 ridged ring ; the embryo curved with the stone. Leaves palmate 

 or peltate : no stipules. Anthers commonly 4-lobed. 



1. COCCULUS. Sepals, petals, and stamens each C. 



2. MKNISPFUMUM. Sepals and petals G or 8. Stamens in sterile flowers 12 - 20. 



1. COCCULUS. (Name means a little berry.) Only one species in V. S. 

 C. CarolinUS, CAROLINA C. Somewhat downy ; leaves ovate or heart 

 shaped, entire or sinnate-lohed ; flowers v,Teenish, in summer; fruits red, as 

 c as peas. From Virginia S. >c W. 



2. MENISPERMUM, MOONSKKD. (Name from the shape of the 



stone of the fruit. ) < >nly one species, 



M. Canad6nse, CANADIAN MOON-SEED. Almost smooth ; leaves peltate 

 near the edge; tlowers white, in late summer; fruits black, looking like small 

 grapes. 



5. BERBERIDACE.S3, BARBERRY FAMILY. 



Known generally by the perfect flowers, having a petal before 

 each sepal, "and a stamen before each petal, with anthers opening 

 by a pair of valves like trap-doors, hinged at the top (Lessons, 

 p. 103, fig. 30K), and a single simple pistil. But No. 6 has nu- 

 merous stamens, 5 and G have more petals than sepals, and the 

 anthers of 2 and G open lengthwise, in the ordinary way. There 

 are commonly bracts or outer sepals behind the true ones. All blos- 

 som in spring, or the true Barberries in early summer. 

 * Shrubs in- shrubby: stamens 6 : berry few-seedtd. 



1. HF.HBKIHS. Flowers yellow, in racemes : petals with two deep-colored spots 



at the base. Leaves simple, or simply pinnate. Wood ami inner bark yellow. 

 Loaves with sharp bristly or spiny teeth. 



2. NAMilNA. Fluwtrs white, in panicles : anthers opening lengthwise. Leaves 



twice or thrice pinnate. 



* * Perennial herbs. 



-*- H7//I one to three twice or thrice ternately compound leaves. 



8- El'IMF.DH'M. Stamens 4. Petals 4 hollow spurs or hoods. Pod sereral 

 seeded. Leaflets with bristly teeth. 



