114 XANTHOXYLON. No. 9^ 



Diclinous polygamous, some shrubs bearing pistillate 

 flowers, and others two kinds, both staminate and com- 

 plete or perfect. These last have a 5 parted calyx with 

 segments erect, oblong obtuse. Five stamens on the 

 base of thegynoplure, filaments subulate, anthers sagit- 

 tate, 4 celled. Central gynophore divided into the stipes 

 of the pistils, which are 3 or 4, oval, with a converging 

 terete style and obtuse stigma. Staminate flowers with 

 an oval trifid abortive gynoplure* Pistillate flowers with 

 a smaller calyx. Capsules stipitate, elliptical punctate, 

 reddish green, two valved, with one seed, oval and 

 blackish. 



HISTORY. This genus, whose name means yellow 



wood, and which many botanists write Zanthoxylumhj 

 mistake, has many anomalies, because accuracy appears 



of very little moment to the Linnasan botanists. It must 

 be divided m at least 4 subgenera or genera, thus : 



1. Dimeinin. Raf. 1815. No corolla, 3 stamens, S 

 pistils and capsules, type A", spinositm^ X emargma- 

 tiiTTi^ X. acuminalum. 



2, Herculium. Raf. No corolla, 5 stamens, 5 pistils 

 and capsules, type X. clava^ X, pimct atum, &c. 



S. 77t?//ax. Raf. 1815. No corolla, 5 stamens, anthers 

 4 locular, 3 to 4 stipitate pistils and capsules, styles 



' conniveut, twisted. Dioical polygamous.. Type X 

 fraxinetira. 



4. Pseudopeialon. Raf. FL lud. 1817. Five parapetals 

 opposed to the segments of the calyx, 5 stamens alter- 

 nate with them, anthers bilocular, 2 or 3 pistils and cap- 

 sules sessile divical, type P. glandidosum^ Fl. lud. and 

 X tricarpum ot Michaus. 



They all appear to form a natural family along with 

 the genera Cnestis^ Triphaca^ Tetradnim^ Tenorea^ Raf. 

 as stated by me in 1S15. The X, or Thylax fraxineum 

 is found from New England to Florida and Missouri, in 

 groves. The flowers are vernal, anterior to the leaves, 

 green and inconspicuous. Four species are found in the 

 United States all equally medical, this, the 2 species of 

 Pseudopeialon, and the X clava^ but this last, found in 

 V^arohaa and Florida, appears to me different from the 

 ^:^^^^a of the West Indies j it may be called X cate&^ 



