72 EHAMNACE^. (BUCKTHORN FAMILY.) 



1. A. quinquefolia, Michx. (Virginiak Creeper.; — Low grounds, 

 Florida and northward. June. — Stem climbing by lateral tendrils. Leafleta 

 5, oblong-obovate, serrate above the middle, smooth. Beny small, dark-blue. 



Order 39. RHA3INACli:^. (Buckthorn Family.) 



Trees or shrubs, with simple mostly stipulate leaves, and small regular 

 perigynous greenish or whitish flowers. — Sepals 4-5, united below, val- 

 vate in the bud. Petals alternate with the sepals, concave or hooded, 

 sometimes wanting. Stamens opposite the petals, and inserted with them 

 into the margin of a fleshy disk, which lines the base of the calyx. Ovary 

 1-4-celled, with a solitary erect anatropous ovule in each cell. Style 

 single. Fruit drupaceous. Embryo iai'ge, in the axis of scanty fleshy 

 albumen. Kadicle inferior. 



Synopsis. 



* Drupe baccate, 1 - 2-ce)led. Ovary immersed in the disk. 



1. SCXJTIA. Petals 5, or none. Drupe 1-celled. Calyx adnate to the base of the ovary. 



2. BERCHEMIA. Petals 5. Drupe 2-celled. Calyx free. 



* * Drupe baccate, separating into 2-4 nutlets. 



3. SAGERETIA. Leaves opposite. Nutlets 3. Flowers spiked. 



4. RHAMNUS. Leaves alternate. Seed furrowed on the back. Flowers clustered. 

 6. FRANGULA. Leaves alternate. Seed not furrowed. Flowers umbelled. 



* * * Drupe at length dry, separating into 3 nutlets. 



6. CEANOTHUS. Flowers corymbed. Calyx white. Nutlets 2-valved. 



7. COLUBRINA. Flowers cymose. Calyx green. Nutlets opening at the iAner angle. 



8. GOUANIA. Flowers spiked. Woody vines. 



SCUTIA, Commers. 



Calyx-tube hemispherical or pitcher-shaped, with ."j acute lobes. Petals 5, in- 

 serted into the margin of the disk, short-elawed, sometimes Wanting. Ovary 

 adhering to the disk below, 2 - 3-celled, with a single erect ovule in each cell. 

 Style single, conical. Stigma 2-3-lobed. Fruit 1-celled, or separating into 

 2-3 one-seeded nutlets. Seeds without albumen. Radicle very short. — Shrubs, 

 with alternate or opposite coriaceous entire 2-stipulate leaves, and small axillary 

 flowers in simple umbels. 



1. S. ferrea, Brongn. Spineless; mature leaves coriaceous, opposite or 

 alternate, elliptical or obovate, emarginate, obtuse at the base, short-petioled ; 

 stipules by pairs, ovate, minute ; flowers clustered, axillary, on short pedicels ; 

 calyx-tube 5-angled, the lobes ovate ; ovary immersed in the thick 5-lobed disk, 

 2-celled, with an ascending ovule in each cell ; style very short ; stigmas 2, thick, 

 erect; drupe 1-celled, 1-secded. (Rhamnus ferreus, Vuhl. Zizyphus emargina- 

 tus, Su-artz) — South Florida. — Branches opposite, whitish. • Leaves pale, 

 1 'long. 



