Rhamnds. RHAMNACEi^:. 2G1 



"Near St. Barbara and Monterey, California. A shrub 10-12 feet hi?h. 

 Considerably allied to the preceding, but very different in the infloreseenee 

 and foliage ; the leaves are shorter and wider, with 11 or li! pairs of veins. 

 In the young state and while Howering, the leaves are nearly glabrous, quite 

 small and oblong, or oblong-ovate, and the stii)ules thin and membranace- 

 ous as well as smooth. In older brownish branches (perhaps a distinct spe- 

 cies) the stipules and young leaves are silky-pubescent. The (lowering 

 brandies are white and nearly glabrous. If these two plants should prove 

 to be distinct species, one of them may retain the present name; and the 

 other may be called R. leucodermis." — Nutlall. 



3. R.croceus (Nutt. ! mss.): " low and branching, the branches spines- 

 cent at the extremity ; leaves coriaceous, evergreen, roundish-obovate (small) 

 nearly glabrous, glandularly denticulate; llowers in axillary clusters; dicccious, 

 tetrandrous, apetalous; styles exserted, distinct above; fruit obovate, 1-2- 

 seeded. 



" Bushy hills and thickets around Monterey, California. — A much branched 

 thorny shrub, with yellow wood ; the whole plant imparting a yellow color to 

 water. Leaves about half an inch long, lucid, when dry of a bright yel- 

 lowish-brown beneath: petioles about a line long. Fascicles 2-6-flowered : 

 pedicels as long as the petioles. Sepals ovate, with one middle and 2 mar- 

 ginal nerves. Stamens nearly as long as the sepals. Ovary ovate. Styles 

 often distinct below the middle. Fruit greenish or yellowish, usually (by 

 abortion) 1-seeded. Seed with a longitudinal furrow oh one side'."— AV^/o//. 



** Leaves deciduous. 



t Flowers tetrandrous. 



4. R.catharticus {L.\x\n.): er«ct ; branches thorny at the summit; leaves 

 •ovate, denticulate-serrate; (lowers fascicled, polygimous-dio-cious, mostly 

 tetrandrous ; Iruit subglobose, 4-seeded.— £;n"-. bot. t. 1629 ; Torr > fl I v 

 263 ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 24:. •■ J ■ - f 



Mountains and in woods ; in the most retired parts of the Highlands of 

 New-York, Dr. Barratt ! Near WiUiamstown, Massachusetts^ Dewey ! 

 and about Boston and Salem, Mr. Oakes ! Probably introduced.— A larcre 

 shrub, with spreading branches and grayish Ixirk. Leaves fascicled and 

 somewhat opposite, about li inch long, nearly glabrous; the laro-er veins 

 nearly longitudinal. Pedicels 3-4 lines long. Flowers sometimes trTandrous* 

 sepals at length reflexed. Petals erect, entire. Stamens a little lonc^er than 

 the calyx. Fruit black, nauseous and cy^ihaxiic— Buck-thorn. " 



5. R. lanceolatiis (Pursh): erect, unarmed; leaves oblong, or ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, acute at the base, serrulate, more or less pubescent be- 

 neath ; flowers sohtary or 2-3 together, axillary, tetrandrous ; petals minute 

 2-lobed, enclosing the stamens; styles united; stigmas 2, divergino-; fruit 2- 

 seeded, globose-obovate ; seed plano-convex, with a deep furrow on' the out- 

 siAe.—Pursh.fl. 1 p. 166; DC. prodr. 2. p. 27. R. Shortii, Nutt.! in 



jour. acad. Fhilad. 7. p. 91. Cardiolepis nigra, rubra, & spinosa, Raf. 

 neo^en. (1825) no. 2. r j j 



Cihrs of Kentucky River, Short! Missouri, Baldwin,' Tennessee Pursh 

 May.— A shrub, with smooth grayish bark. Leaves 2-2i inches long' usuaUy 

 pubescent beneath, but when old sometimes nearly glabrous • petioles 2-3 

 lines long. Flowers perfect, on short pedicels at the base of the youncr 

 shoots. Petals broad, folded round the short stamens, and partly enclosing 

 them. Styles exserted, united the greater part of their length, distinct and 

 somewhat recurv ed above. Fruit as large as a pepper-corn, red or black, usu- 

 ally 2-sided.— Our plant does not exactly agree with Pursh's description, as 



