ANACARDIACE^. 



71' 



Woods. Can. to Flor. W. to Miss. May— July. Tri.—Stem 2—3 feet high. 

 Leaves on petioles, sometimes slightly cordate at base. Flotoers small, white, in 

 an oblong terminal thyrse. Root very large, dark red. The leaves were used 

 as a substitute for tea during the American Revolution. A variable plant. C. 

 herbaceus Raf. is a variety with oval nearly smooth leaves. „ , „ 



New Jersey Tea. Red Root. 



2. C. ovalis Big. : leaves narrow, oblong, or elliptic-lanceolate, 3-nerved 

 from the base, serrulate, nearly smooth ; thyrse umbel-like, the pedicele 

 elongated and closely approximate, H. intermedins Hook, not of Pursh. 



Rocky places. Can. Maine, Ver. and Northern N. Y. W. to Mich, and TexJi.s. 

 May, June. Y^— Stein 2—3 feet high. Leaves 1—3 inches long. Fruit black. 

 Easily distinguished by its narrow leaves and short thyrse from C. Ainencaiucs. 



Narrow-leaved Ceanotlius. 



Order XXXVI. ANACARDIACE^.— Anacards. 



Flowers usually diclinous. Calyx usually small, persistent, 

 5- (sometimes 3 — 7) divided. Petals as many as the segments 

 of the calyx, perigynous, imbricate. Stamens as many as the 

 petals, and alternate, or twice as many or more ; filaments dis- 

 tinct or cohering at the base. Disk fleshy, hypogjmous. Ovary 

 single (or rarely 5 — 6 ;) stigmas usually 3. Fruit indehiscent, 

 usually drupaceous. Seed without albumen.— Trees or shrubs, 

 with a resinous, gummy, caustic, or milky juice. Leaves alter- 

 nate, simple, ternate or pinnate, not dotted. 

 RHUS. Linn. — Sumach. 

 (From the Celtic rhudd, red ; in allusion to the color of the fruit.) 



Calyx small, 5 -parted, persistent. Petals 5, ovate, spreading. 

 Stamens 5, equal, inserted into the disk. Styles 3, short. 

 Drupe nearly dry, with one bony seed. 

 * Leaves ternate. 



1. R. Toxicodendron Linn. : stem erect, pubescent near the summit ; leaves 

 ternate; leafets broad-oval or rhomboid, entire, sinuate or lobed, subpubes- 

 cent beneath ; flowers dioecious, in sessile axillary racemes. R. Toxico- 

 dendron, var. qiicrcifolium Mich. 



Moist woods. Can. to Car. W. to Rocky Mountains. June. h—Stem 

 2—3 feet high. Flowers yellowish-green. Fruit globose, brown, smooth. 



^ Poison Oak or Ivy. 



2. R.radicans Linn.: stem climbing; leaves ternate; leafets petiolate, 

 ovate, acuminate, smooth, generally entire ; flowers in axillary racemes, 

 towards the top of the stem, dioecious ; fruit smooth. R. Toxicodendron, 

 var.' vnlsrare Mich. Pursh. R. Toxicodendron var. radicans Torr. 



Woods and hedges. Can. to Car. June, h— Stem climbing, lowers yel- 

 lowish-^i-een. Fruit subglobose, brown. De Candolle thmks R.radicans distmcj 

 from R. Toxicodendron, although they are considered identical by lorrey and 

 Grav. Both are very poisonous to persons of pecuUar constitutions^— G/irw«y, in 

 N. Y. Med. 4- Phys. Jour. N. S. i. 21. Climbing Poison Oak. 



