Buckthorn Family 241 



small, deciduous. Inflorescence commonly of axillary or 

 terminal cymes or panicles. Flowers small, regular, per- 

 fecl or polygamous. Calyx-tube obconic or cylindric, 

 the limb 4-5-toothed. Petals 1 5, inserted on tHe calyx, 

 sometimes wanting. Stamens 4-5, inserted with the 

 petals and opposite them ; anthers short, versatile. Disk 

 fleshy. Ovary sessile, free from or immersed in the disk, 

 2-5-celled ; ovules 1 in each cell, anatropous, ascending. 

 Fruit a drupe or capsule, often 3-celled. Endosperm 

 fleshy, rarely none ; embryo large; cotyledons flat. 



Petals clawless or wanting. 1. Rhamnus. 



Petals long-clawed. 2. Ceanothus. 



1. RHAMNUS L. Buckthorn. 



Shrubs or small trees with alternate pinnately veined 

 (in ours) evergreen leaves, and small axillary cymose 

 perfect or polygamous flowers. Calyx-tube urceolate, 

 its limb 4-5-toothed. Petals 4-5, nearly sessile, some- 

 what emarginate and hooded, or none. Disk free from 

 the 3-4-celled ovary ; style 3-4-cleft, Drupe berry-like, 

 oblong or globose, containing 2-4 nut-like stones. 



1. R. crocea Nutt. Low, much branched, the branches with 

 short spine-like branchlets, 6-12 dm. high ; leaves rigidly coriace- 

 ous, about 1 cm. long, bright green above, often yellowish beneath, 

 roundish-ovate, glandular-denticulate; flowers about 3 mm. in 

 diameter, reddish. 



Occasional on the dry plains and in the chaparral belt of our interior 

 region. 



2. R. crocea ilicifolia (Kell.) Greene. Shrub, sometimes 

 arborescent, branches scarcely spinescent ; leaves green on both 

 sides, often 2.5 cm. long; Mowers often 5-merous ; fruit some- 

 what larger than in the type. 



Common in the chaparral belt throughout our range. In foliage closely 

 resembling Prunus ilicifolia. 



3. R. California Esch. Shrub, sometimes arborescent. 1-4 

 m. high, young }>arts pubescent, becoming glabrous; leaves thin- 



