RHAMNACE^. 91 RHAMNUS. 



C. sca'ndens. 



Unarmed ; stem woody, twining ; haves oblong, acuminate, serrate ; racemes 

 terminal. Flowers dioecious. A climbing shrub in woods and thickets, the 

 stems twining about other trees or each other, ascending to a great hight. 

 Leaves alternate, stipulate, petiolate, smooth. Flowers in small racemes, 

 greenish white. Seeds covered with a scarlet aril, and contained in a 3-valved 

 capsule, continuing upon the stem through the winter. Jn. Stuff-tree. 



3. EUO'NYMUS. 



Calyx flat, of 5, (sometimes 4 or 6) united sepals; corolla 

 flat, inserted on the outer margin of a glaudular disk; stamens 

 5, with short filaments; capsule colored, 5-angled, 5-celled, 

 5-valved; seeds ariled. 



Euonymus, was the name of a certain deity in Grecian mythology, but its 

 application to this plant is unexplained. 



E. atropurpu'rea. 



Peduncles compressed, many-flowered; s;(o-7?ias square, truncated; leaves 

 oblong, lanceolate, acuminate, serrate, pubescent beneatli. A shrub, 5 feet 

 high; with opposite branches and deciduous leaves. Flowers purple, in axil- 

 lary clusters. Corolla and other parts of the flower, usually in 4s. Capsules 

 crimson, smooth. Seeds covered with a briglit red aril. Jn. 



Spindle-tree. Burning Bush. 



E. America'na. 



Peduncles round, 3-flowered ; leaves oval or oblong-lanceolate, sessile, acute, 

 serrate, smooth ; branches 4-angle(i ; corolla and other parts of the flower 

 mostly in 5s. A handsome siirub, of smaller size than the preceding, with 

 opposite, square, slender, green branches and smooth evergreen foliage. 

 Leaves thick and leathery, varying from ovate-lanceolate through oval to ob- 

 lanceolate. Flowers pink and yellow, 1 — 3 together, axillary. Capsules 

 dark red, warty. Seeds with a bright red aril. Burning Bush. 



ORDER XLVII. RHAMNACEiE. The Buck-Tlwrn Tribe. 



Col. — Sepals 4 or 5, united at base, valvate in estivation. [sometimes I). 



Cr.^Petals 4 or 5, distinct, cucullate or convolute, inserted into the orifice ol" the calyx, 



Sta. — Opposite the petals, 4 or 5. 



Ova — Superior, or hall'superior, with an erect ovule in each cell. 



Fr. — A capsule, drupe or berr)'. 



Trees or shrubs, often armed with spines. Leaves generally alternate and simple. This 

 family of plants is distributed throughout all countries, except those in the Frigid Zones. 

 Many are native of the U. States. Ceanothus is peculiar to North America. 



Properties. The berries of many species of Rhamnus are violent purgatives. The Ziz- 

 yplius Jujuba, yields the weW )ino\vn jujube paste of the shops. The leaves of Ceanothus 

 have been used as a substitute for tea. 



Genera. 

 Calyx free from the ovary ; petals plane ; flowers minute, . . . Rhmnmts. 1 

 Calyx adherent to the ovary at base ; petals unguiculale, .... Ceanothus. 2 



1. RHAMNUS. 

 Calyx urceolate, 4 — 5-cleft; petals 4 — 5, emarginate, in- 

 serted upon the calyx; ovary free, 2 — 4-celled; styles 2 — 4, 

 more or less united ; fruit drupaceous, 3 — 4-seeded. 



