368 Class XXII. Order VI. 



A green-flowering plant of the salt marshes. Stem erect, fur- 

 rowed, smooth, fleshy. Leaves petioled with a long, obtuse 

 point. Flowers in leafy spikes, axillary and terminal. Barren 

 and fertile flowers on different plants. Calyx of the fertile flow- 

 ers three leaved ; germ ovate ; stigmas three. Marsh near the 

 Punchbowl, Brookline. August. Annual. 



HEXANDRIA. 



428. SMILAX. 

 SMILAX ROTUNDIFOLIA. L. Green Briar. 



Stem prickly, round ; leaves unarmed, heart-shaped, 

 pointed, five or seven nerved. 



A hardy and very troublesome vine, climbing upon trees and 

 bushes, and forming, with its thorny branches, almost impassable 

 thickets. Stem smooth, woody, strong, armed with short, straight, 

 rigid thorns, proceeding from the wood. Leaves large, smooth, 

 roundish-heart shaped, ending in a short point, commonly five 

 nerved. Tendrils very strong, from the top of the stipules. 

 Umbels of flowers small, on short, axillary stalks. Berries small. 

 Moist woods. June. 



SMILAX PEDUNCULARIS. Muhl. Long stalked Smilax. 



Stem round, unarmed ; leaves roundish -ovate, acu- 

 minate, nine nerved, peduncle of the fertile umbel lon- 

 ger than the leaves. 



A rank, herbaceous, climbing plant. Stem round, smooth, at- 

 taching itself to other plants by its stipular tendrils. Leaves of 

 the stem large, heart-shaped, with a short point, petioled, smooth, 

 with about nine nerves. Flowers small, greenish, with an offen- 

 sive odour, in simple umbels, on very long, axillary, peduncles. 

 The fertile ones are succeeded by large bunches of rounded, 

 compressed, crowded, bluish berries. The axils of many of the 

 leaves give rise to short, barren branches, supporting half a 

 dozen, ovate, five nerved leafets. June Perennial. 



429. DIOSCOREA. 



DIOSCOREA VILLOSA. Villous Dioscorca. 



Leaves alternate, opposite and whorled, cordate, 



