RHAMNACEAE 177 



The fruit, which ripens late in the fall, is a smooth, pitted, 

 leathery capsule, which contains 1 or 2 seeds, each about 1 

 inch wide. 



Distribution. — The Red Buckeye is a shrub or tree of rich 

 riverbottom lands. It ranges from Virginia to southern Illinois 

 and southward to Florida and Louisiana. In Illinois, its distribu- 

 tion is distinctly southern and includes only Union County, in 

 the vicinity of Jonesboro, Pope County, in the vicinity of Gol- 

 conda, and Alexander County, in the vicinity of Hanging Rock. 



The Sweet Buckeye, A. octandra Marshall, is relatively 

 common in southern Illinois and sometimes assumes a some- 

 what shrubby growth habit. It may be distinguished from 

 the Red Buckeye by the reddish-brown pubescence on its leaf 

 veins. 



RHAMNACEAE 

 The Buckthorn Family 



The buckthorn family consists of shrubs or trees with alter- 

 nate or, rarely, opposite, simple, usually several-ribbed leaves 

 and small stipules. The flowers are greenish, perfect or polyga- 

 mous or, rarely, dioecious. There are 4 or 5 sepals and an equal 

 number of petals and stamens. The ovary consists of 2 or 3 

 united carpels which are immersed in the disk of the flower 

 and are capped by more or less united styles and stigmas. The 

 fruit may be a capsule, a drupe or a samara. 



There are about 600 species in this family, all natives of 

 temperate and warmer regions. They are distributed among 

 some 50 genera, of which 3 are native in eastern North America 

 and 2 in Illinois. 



Key to the Genera 



Leaves pinnately veined, flowers greenish yellow, fruit a 



drupe Rhamnus, p. 177 



Leaves strongly 3-veined, flowers white, fruit a dry capsule 



Ceanothus, p. 181 



RHAMNUS (Tournefort) Linnaeus 



The Buckthorns 



The buckthorns are shrubs or trees, either unarmed or armed 

 with spinelike branchlets, which bear alternate, toothed or en- 



