DIOECIA— TRIANDRIA. Ruscus. 235 



or at the back. Berries red. Some species have united 

 jflowers ; one or more bear them in clusters. 



]. R. acideattis. Common Butcher's-broom. 



Leaves ovate, sharp-pointed, flowering on the upper side 

 without a leaflet. 



R. aculeatus. Linn.Sp, P\.U1\. Wilh\.vA.'i1\. FL Br. 1073. 

 Engl. Dot. V. 8. t. 560. Hook. Scot. 288. Jfoodv. Suppl. t. 237. 

 Mill. Illustr. t. 96. bull. Fr. t. 213. 



R. n. 1238. HnlLIJis(.v.2. 116. 



Ru^cufi. RaiiSyn. 262. Ger. Em.907 ./. Trag.Hist.9\9.f. Matth. 

 I'algr. V. 2. r)55./. Cavicr. Epit. 935./. Bauh. Hist. v. 1 . 579./. 

 Bauh.Pin.470. 



Myrtacantha, Muiina spina, sive Myvtus sylvestris. Lob. Ic. 

 637./ 



Aa(pvry, Daphne. Diosc. Ic. 132./ 



Butcher's Broom. Petiv. H. Brit, t, 11./ 4. 



B. Ruscus la\us. Tr. of Linn. Sac v. 3. 334. 



On bushy heaths, and in woods, more especially on a gravelly 

 soil. 



/3. At Stoke, near Gosport, plentifully. Mr. G. Caleij. 



Perennial. March, April. 



/ioo< fleshv, much divided at the crown, sending up many branched, 

 leafy, round, rigid, furrowed stems, 2 feet high, not flowering till 

 the second year, after which they die down to the root. Whole 

 herb dark green, smooth in every part. Leaves a continuation of 

 the branches, equally firm and durable, with scarcely any /oo/- 

 stalka, alternate, spreading every way, obliquely twisted, ovate, 

 not an inch long, many-ribbed,' each tipped with a sharp point. 

 Fl. solitary, near the middle of the upper side of each leaf, ap- 

 parently sessile, but their bracteated stalk is imbedded under the 

 cuticle,' and nuis down to tlie base of the leaf. Cal. pale green. 

 Nc.ct. ])uri)lish. Berry the size of a \\e>\ Currant, scarlet, juicy 

 and sweetisli. Seeds originally 6, but only 1 or 2 come to per- 

 fection. These nre hard, white, semilransparent. Instead of 

 a leaflet, of considerable size, accompanying they^oiAcr, in some 

 sj)ccie8, there is in tliis a small spine, or bristle, winged at the 

 base, besides 2 or 3 membranous bnnUas, on tlie elongated 

 fruit-stalk. 



The variety p has more extended and wavy branches, tiie leares 

 rather el'lipticid than ovate, tapering at tiie base, it can scarcely 

 be considered as more tlian a variety, being itself liable to several 

 different a])]iraran(es. 



