DICOTYLEDONS. 83 



41. BERBERIDACEiE. BARBERRY FAMILY. 



Shrubs or lierbs ; leaves basal or alternate, simple or com- 

 pound, exstipulate ; flowers solitary or racemed, perfect, regu- 

 lar, hypogynous ; sepals and petals in 2 or more rows of 2-4 

 each, deciduous ; stamens usually as many as the petals and 

 opposite them ; pistil 1 ; fruit berry -like or capsular, many- 

 seeded. 



PODOPHYLLUM. 



Perennial ; stem simple, smooth, erect, 12-15 in. tall, bear- 

 ing 2 leav^es with a large white flower between them ; sepals 

 G, caducous ; petals 6-9, obovate ; stamens twice as many as 

 the petals ; pistil 1, stigma large, flat, sessile ; fruit berry- 

 like, 1-celled, many-seeded. 



P. PELTATUM L. May-apple. Rootstock rather large; leaves 

 orbicular, peltate, 5-9-lobed and toothed, smooth, 0-12 in. wide; 

 flowers 2 in. wide, on a peduncle 1-2 in. long ; stamens prominent, 

 anthers opening longitudinally; fruit 1^-2 in. long, oval, fragrant, 

 edible; each seed surrounded by a pulpy aril. April-May. In rich 

 woods. The roots and leaves are drastic, and are used in medicine. 



42. MENISPERMACEiE. MOONSEEI) FAMILY. 



Herbaceous or woody climbing or twining vines ; leaves 

 alternate, palmately veined, entire or lobed, exstipulate, on 

 slender petioles ; flowers small, polygamous or dioecious, in 

 axillary racemes or panicles; sepals 4-12; petals (i or less; 

 stamens usually G ; ovaries 3 or more, usually G, 1-ovuled ; 

 fruit a drupe. 



I. CEBATHA. 



Woody vines ; stems slender and very hard ; leaves rather 

 thick, ovate, entire or 3-lol)ed ; flowers in axillary racemes or 

 ])ani('les, dicecious or ]»olyganious ; sepals G ; i)etals (5 ; fruit a 

 drupe, with a rough, renilonu seed. 



