Ptelea. XXXII. ZANTHOXYLACE^. 201 



2. O. viOLACEA. Violet Wood Sorrel. 



Acaulescent, smooth; scape umbelliferous; pedicels subpubescent ; Jls. 

 nodding ; tips of the cat. fleshy ; sty. shorter than the outer stamens. — An elegant 

 species, in rocky woods, &c., throughout the U. S. Bulb scaly. Scape nearly 

 twice taller than the leaves, 5 — 8' high. Leaves palmately 3-foliate, sometimes 

 none ; leaflets nearly twice as wide as long, with a very shallow sinus at the 

 very broad apex. Umbel of 3 — 9 drooping flowers. Petals large, violet-colored, 

 striate. May. 



3. O. sTRicTA. Yellow Wood Sorrel. 



Caulescent; st. branching, erect ; ped. umbelliferous, longer than petioles; 

 sty. as long as the inner stamens. — (i) Fields, U. S. and Can. The plant varies 

 in height, tirom 3 — 8' or more, according to the soil. Stem leafy, round, smooth, 

 succulent. Leaves palmately 3-foliate, numerous, scattered on long stalks. 

 Umbels on long, axillary stalks, about the length of the petioles. Flowers 

 small, yellow, appearing all summer. Capsules sparingly hirsute, with spread- 

 ing hairs. 



4. O. coRNicuLATA. Ladies' Wood Sorrel. 



Caulescent ; 5^. creeping, radicating, diffusely branching ; Ifts. pubescent ; 

 ped. 2 or more-flowered, shorter than the petioles ; pet. cuneiform, erose at the 

 apex ; sty. long as the inner stamens. — Grows in cultivated grounds, U. S. and 

 Can. Resembles the last, but "is undoubtedly distinct." Robbins. Stems leafy, 

 prostrate, a foot or more in length. Sepals pubescent, half as long as the emar- 

 ginate, yellow petals. Capsules densely and closely pubescent. May, and after. 



Order XXXII. ZANTHOXYLACE^. 



Trees or shrubs, without stipules. 



Lvs. alternate or opposite, pinnate, rarely simple, with pellucid dots. 



Fls. regular, polygamous, gray, green, or pink. Sep. 3—9, smaU, cohering at the base. 



Cor.— Petals longer than the sepals, of the same number or 0. 



Sta. alternate with petals, of the same number, seldom twice as many; in the pistillate flowera either 



wanting or imperfect. Antfif.rs introrse. 

 Chm. usually of the same number as sepals, stipitate, distinct or united. 

 Pr. baccate, membranaceous or drupaceous, or 2-valved capsules. 



Genera 20, species 110, chiefly of tropical America, only 2 genera being native in the United States. 



Properties. — Bitter, aromatic and stimulant; properties residing chiefly in the bark. 



Canspectus of the Genera. 



Urees, with 21— 41-foliate leaves Ailanthua. 3 



Unarmed ( shrubs, with 3-foliate leaves Ptelea. 2 



Prickly shrubs ZatUhoxylum. \ 



\. ZANTHOXtLUM. 



Gr. ^ap^oi, yellow, ^v\ov, wood; from the color of the wood. 



$ Calyx inferior, 5-parted ; corolla ; stamens 3 — 6 ; pistils 3 — 5 ; 

 carpels 3 — 5, 1 -seeded; ? like the ^ but wanting the stamens; J* 

 like the ? but wanting the pistils. — Leaves piiinalely 3 — 5-foliaie. 



Z. Americ.Inum. Miller. (Z. i'raxineum. Willd.) Prickly Ash. 



Prickly ; Ifts. ovate, subentire, .sessile, equal at the base ; umbels axillary. — 

 A shrub 10 or I2f high, found in woods in most parts of the U. S. The branches 

 are armed with strong, conical, brown prickles with a broad base. Leaflets 

 about 5 pairs with an odd one, smooth above, downy beneath; common petioles 

 with or without prickles. Flowers in sma'l den.se umbels, axillary, greenish, 

 appearing before the leaves. The perfect and the staminate ones grow upon 

 the same tree, and the pistillate upon a .separate tree. The bark is bitter, aro- 

 matic and stimulant, used for rheumatism and to alleviate the tooth-ache. 

 Apr. May. 



2. PTELEA. 

 9 5 cf Sepals 3 — 6, mostly 4^ much shorter than the spreading 

 petals; c^ stamens longer tluin the petals and alternate with tlum, 

 very sliort and imperfect in \ ; ovary of 2 united carpels ; st yh'< 



