264 RHAMNACE^. Ceanothus. 



Along the coast from North CaroUna to East Florida, Michav.v! Bald- 

 win! Oct.-Nov.— A shrub (6-8 feet high, EIL). Leaves about an inch 

 Ions, pub2scent when young, at length nearly glabrous, acuminate ; the lateral 

 veins few. Petals entire. 'Fruit as large as a pepper-corn : endocarp rather 

 thin and coriaceous. Seeds plano-convex, obcordate, smooth and even on 

 both sides. — Our specimens are rather imperfect. 



4. CEANOTHUS. Lhin. (in part) ; Gcertn. fr. t. 106 ; Brongn. I'c. p. 369. 



Calyx campanulale, 5-clcft ; the upper portion at length separating by a 

 transverse line ; the tube adhering to the base of the ovary. Petals 5, long- 

 er than the calyx, saccate and arched, on long claws. Stamens exserted : 

 anthers ovate, 2-celled. Disk fleshy at the margin, surrounding the ovary. 

 Styles 3 (sometimes 2), united to the middle, diverging above. Fruit dry 

 and coriaceous, mostly 3-ceiled (rarely 2-4- or by abortion 1-celled), obtusely 

 triangular, girt below by the persistent tube of the calyx, tricoccous ; the cells 

 at length opening by the inner suture. Seeds obovate, without a lateral fur- 

 row.— Shrubs, or somewhat shrubby plants, not thorny. Roots large, red- 

 dish, astringent. Leaves alternate, commonly ovate or eUiptical, serrate or 

 entire, persistent or deciduous. Flowers (perfect) white, blue, or yellowish 

 (the calyx and pedicels often colored), in umbel-like fascicles, which are ag- 

 gregated at the extremity of the branches into small dense thyrsoid panicles 

 or corymbs. 



* Leaves 2-ribbcd from the base. 



1. C. Am^ricanns (Linn.) : leaves ovate or oblong-ovate, serrate, nearly 

 glabrous above, canescently tomentose beneath, the petioles and veins be- 

 neath villous-pubescent ; peduncles axillary, elongated ; thyrsus oblong, leaf- 

 less — Walt. Car. p. 101 ; MiclKv. ! p. 1. p. 154 ; Bot. mag. t. 1479 ; Pvr.sh., 

 J. 1. p. 167; Ell. sk. 1. p. 290; DC. prodr. 2. p. 31 ; Hook. Jl. Bor.-Am. 

 1, p. 124; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 148. C. tardiflorus, Hornem.? 



p. Pitcheri: leaves ovate, commonly obtuse, minutely canescent above, 

 velvety-tomentose beneath, the veins of both surfaces hairy ; peduncles of- 

 ten somewhat leafy.— C. Pitcheri, Pickering ! viss. 



y. herbaceus: leaves oval, serrulate, nearly glabrous.— C. herbaceus, Raf. 

 in Desv. jour. bot. 1. p. 227. C. perennis, Pitrsh, I. c. C. ovatus, Desf. 

 arb. 2. p. 3S1 7; DC. I. c.1 ,,,,.• 



<5. intermedius : leaves small, ovate-oblong or oval, serrulate (otherwise as 

 in a.) ; thyrus rather loose.— C. intermedius, i^ri^A, /. c. ?; DC. I. c? ; EIL 

 sk. 1. p. 290, not of Hook. 



Woods and copses, Canada ! to Florida ! and Louisiana ! /?. Arkansas 

 and Missouri, Dr. Pitcher! Nuttall ! Texas, Drummoml ! Alabama, 

 Dr. Gates ! y. Southern States. S. Georgia ! to Florida ! and west to Ar- 

 kansas ! June-July.— Root dark red. Stem shrubby or suffruticose, 1-3 

 feet high; the younger branches pubescent. Leaves 2-3 inches long (in J. 

 much smaller), rounded or rarely acutish, or sometimes a little cordate at the 

 base, either acute, or slightly acuminate, or obtusish at the apex ; the pubes- 

 cence of the veins and petioles somewhat rusty-colored. Calyx, corolla, and 

 pedicels (3-6 lines long) white. Claws of the petals filiform. Disk with a 

 10-toothed border. Seeds convex externally, deeply concave Avithin ; the 

 cavity marked by an elevated longitudinal ridge. In (i. & 5. the seeds are 

 convex on both sides, and without a rid^e : the difference is perhaps ow- 

 ing to their greater maturity in our specimens of the IdiXax.—Xeu'-Jersey 

 Tea. 



