72 EHAMNACE^. (BUCKTHORN FAMILY.) 



1. A. quinquefolia, Michx. (Virginian Creeper.) — Low grounds, 

 Floiiila and northward. June. — Stem climbing by lateral t»?ndrils. Leaflets 

 5, obloug-obovate, sciTatc above the middle, smooth. BeiTy small, daik-blue. 



Order 09. RHAMNACEiE. (Buckthorn Family.) 



■ Trees or slirubs, 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-cellcd, with a solitary erect anatropous ovule in each cell. Style 

 single. Fruit drupaceous. Embryo large, in the axis of scanty fleshy 

 albumen. Iladicle infbrior. 



J'ynopsis. « 



♦ Dnipe baccate, 1 -2-cpllcd. Ovary immersed in the disk. 



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



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



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



3. SAGERF,TL\. Leaves opposite. Nutlets 3. Flowers spiked. 



4. RnAMXi;.S. Leaves alternate. Seed furrowed on the back. Flowers clustered. 



5. FUANGULA. Leaves alternate. Seed not furrowed. Flowers umbelled. 



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



6. CEANOTIIUS. Flowers coryuibed. Calyx white. Nutlets 2-valved. 



7. COLUBIIINA. Flowers cymose. Calyx green. Nutlets opening at the inner angle. 



8. GOUANIA. Flowers spiked. Woody vines. 



SCUTIA, Commers. 



Calyx-tube hemispherical or pitchcr-shapcd, witli .'j acute lobes. Petals 5, in- 

 BCrted into tlie margin of tlie disk, sbort-clawcd, sometimes wanting. Ovary 

 adhering to tlie disk below, 2-3-cclIcd, witii a single erect ovule in each cell. 

 Stylo single, conical. Stigma 2-3-lobcd. Fruit 1-celled, or separating into 

 2-3 onc-secdod nutlets. Seeds without albumen, lladidc very short. —Shrubs, 

 with alternate or opposite coriaceous entire 2-stii)ulate leaves, and small axillary 

 flowers in ^imI)]e umbels. 



1. S. ferrca, Brongn. Spineless; m.iturc leaves coriaceous, .opposite or 

 alternate, elliptical or obovatc, emarginate, obtuse at the ba.se, short-pet iolcd ; 

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

 calyx-tube .5-anglcd, the lobes ovate ; ovary immersed in the thick S-lobed disk, 

 2-ccllcd. with nn ascending ovule in each cell ; style very short ; stignms 2, thick, 

 erect; drupe l-<('lle(l, 1-sccdcd. (Rlinmnus ferreus, Va/it. Zizyphus cmargina- 

 tufl, Su-aiiz) — South Florida. — Branches opposite, whitish. Loaves pale, 

 1 'lung. 



