DIVISION II 



PETALS, FREE; FLOWER WITH A RECEPTACULAR 



EXPANSION 



Spindle-tree Family {Celastracece). — We have 

 only one representative of this family in Great 

 Britain. 



Spindle-tree {Euo7iyimis europmis^Y\g. 17). — 

 This is a smooth-leaved shrub, the leaves being 

 very shortly stalked, opposite in pairs, with minute 

 teeth on the margin. The flowers are in loose 

 clusters, each flower being scarcely half-an-inch 

 across. The four sepals are very minute, the four 

 petals are green, arising from below a fleshy disk, 

 which surrounds the flower, uniting the parts more 

 or less together. The fruit is three or more lobed, 

 becomes a beautiful rose-red colour, and when it 

 bursts into several pieces, orange-coated seeds 

 are visible. These are the parts which attract 

 children, but are very injurious. 



The common Spindle-tree received its name 



from its wood having been made into spindles. It 



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