2G2 RHAMNACEiE. Rhamnus. 



the leaves are seldom so narrow as to be called lanceolate; but there can be 

 little doubt of its being the same species. 



6. R. parvifoUus : unarmed ; leaves ovate, serrulate, pubescent (in the 

 young state), acute or emarginate; flowers solitary or 2-3 together, axillary, 

 on ve'ry short pedicels, tetrandrous (rarely pentandrous) ; petals mmute, 2- 

 lobed, partly surrounding the very short stamens ; styles 2, united below, 

 very short and conical. . , , • i 



Harper's Ferry, Virginia, Pursh ! (v. s. in herb. Barton).— K shrub with 

 smooth gray bark. Leaves (immature) half an inch long, pubescent, particu- 

 larly onlhe lower surface, acute at the base. Tube of the calyx narrow, at- 

 tenuated dowmvard. Petals about as long as the stamens. Ovary (abortive) 

 oblong, shorter than the tube of the calyx.— We have only seen immature 

 specimens of this plant, in the herbarium of the late Dr. Barton. They 

 were labeDed in the hand-writing of Pursh " Rhamnus franguloides, mihi.— 

 Michx. 7 Harper's Ferry." We cannot refer it to any other species describ- 

 ed in this work. It may be the R. franguloides of Pursh's Flora, but it is 

 certainly not the plant of Michaux. 



+t Flowers pentandrous. 



7. R. alnifolius (L'Her.) : erect, unarmed ; leaves oval, acuminate, ser- 

 rate, pubescent on the veins beneath; flowers solitary or aggregated, pen- 

 tandrous (rarely tetrandrous), apetalous; styles 3, very short, united nearly to 

 the summit; disk somewhat fleshy ; fruit roundish-turbinate.— L'//er. serf. 

 « 5 ; Torr. ! fl. 1. p. 263 ; DC. prodr. 2. ji. 25 ; Hook. ji. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 

 122,' t. 42. R. franguloides, Mich.v. fl. 1. p. 153; P^irsh, fl. 1. p. 166? 



Sphaf^nous swamps, Hudson's Bay, New England ! and northern part of 

 New- York! to Pennsylvania (Muhlenberg). May -June.— A shrub 2-4 feet 

 high. Leaves 1-3 inches long, acute at the base ; the lateral veins oblique 

 anli rather prominent. Flowers produced on the lower part of the young 

 shoots ; pedicels 2-3 lines long. Tube of the calyx hemispherical ; sepals 

 spreading. Fruit black, rather fleshy, about the size of a currant, 3-seeded. 

 Seeds plano-convex, without a furrow. 



8. R. Carolinianus (Walt.) : erect, unarmed ; leaves oval-oblong, obscure- 

 ly serrate, nearly glabrous (or rarely pubescent beneath); umbels axillary, on 

 peduncles' much shorter than the petioles ; flowers perfect, pentandrous (some- 

 times tetrandrous), petals minute, embracing the very short stamens; styles 

 united to the summit ; stigmas 3 ; fruit globose, rather dry, 3-4-seeded.— 

 Walt. Car. p. 101 ; Mich.v..' fl. 1. p. 153; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 166 ; Ell. sk. . 

 1. p. 289; DC. prodr. 1. p. 27. , ■ „ , ,t 



Banks of rivers, North Carolina ! to Florida ! west to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains '.—Usually a shrub, but sometimes (as in Palmetto Creek, Laurens 

 County, Georgia, Croo77i) it becomes a tree 30-40 feet high. Leaves 3-6 

 inches long, and 1-2 inches wide, sometimes acuminate, irregularly serrate, 

 the serratuTes often very indistinct ; sometimes the margin is waved ; lateral 

 veins (10-12) rather distant. Umbels 5-15-flowered. Petals 2-lobed. Style 

 rather short : stigmas minute. Fruit as large as a smaU pea, mostly 3-seed- 

 ed. Seeds plano-convex, without a groove on one side. 



9. R. Purshianus (DC): erect, unarmed; leaves broadly elliptical, den- 

 ticulate-serrate, pubescent beneath ; umbels axillary, on peduncles longer than 

 the petioles, pubescent ; flowers perfect, pentandrous ; petals minute, embrac- 

 ino- the very short stamens ; styles united to the summit ; stigmas 3 ; fruit 

 turbinate, 3-seeded.— I>C. prodr. 2. p. 25; Hook.! fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 123, 

 t. 43. R. alnifolius, Pursh, fl. 1. p. 166, not of L'Her. 



Woods, Oregon, Dr. Scolder ! Nuttall ! Nootka, Menzies.—A shrub or 

 small tree', 10-20 feet, with a trunk 9 inches in diameter. Leaves 3-5 inches 



