290 Order 43.— RHAMNACBjE. 



long, -| as wide, acute or often rounded at base, on petioles J to 1' long. Ped. 

 opposite, slender, 1 to 2 V long, each with a cyme of 3 to 6 flowers. Cor. dark 

 purple, 4 to 5" diam. Caps, crimson, smooth. Sds. covered in a bright red 

 aril. Ju. 



2 E. Americanus L. Burning Bush. Branches smooth, 4-anglcd; lvs. oval 

 and elliptic-lanceolate, subentiro below, acuminate, acute or obtuse at apex, smooth, 

 sessile or nearly so ; peel, round, about 3-Jlowered ,- fls. mostly pentamerous ; caps. " 

 verrucous. — Shrub of smaller size than tho preceding, with small lvs. in moist 

 woods, TJ. S. and Can. Lvs. 1 to 2' long, ^ as wide, coriaceous. Ped. slender, 



1, 2 or 4-rlowered. Els. a little larger than in No. 1, yellow and pink, tho part3 

 rarely in 3s. Capsule dark red, warty. Sds. with a bright- red aril. Jn. 



/3. obovatus T. & G. Trailing and rooting; lvs. obovate-oval, rather pointed 

 or obtuse, acute and short-petiolate at base. Ohio, &c. (E. obovatus Nutt.) 



3 E. augustifolius Ph. Branches 4-sided; lvs. linear-lanceolate, inequilateral 

 and subfalcate, acute at each end, obscurely serrate, almost sessile; pedicels 1 to 

 Z-flowered ; lis. 5-merous, pet. distinctly clawed. — Woods near Savannah, Ga. St 

 decumbent. Branches regularly opposite, so that the plant appears like a bipin- 

 nate leaf. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, 3 to 5" wide, sharply acute; fls. as large as in No. 



2. Apr., May. 



4 E. Europssus L. Lvs. cbbng-lanceolate, serrate, glabrous ; ped. compressed, 

 3-flowercd ; fls. usually tetrandrous. — Native of Europe. A handsome shrub, 4 to 

 12f high, sometimes found in shrubberies, although certainly not superior in ele- 

 gance to No. 1. May — Jl. \ 



Order XLIII. RHAMNACELR Buckthorns. 



Shrubs or small trees, often spiny, with simple, alternate lvs. with flowers regular, 

 sometimes apetalous or otherwise imperfect ; with tho stamens perigynous, as many 

 (4 or 5) as the valvate sepals, alternate with them, and opposite to tho petals when 

 they aro present. Disk fleshy ; capsule or berry with one albuminous seed in each 

 celL 



Genera 42, species 250, distributed throughout all countries except those In the frigid zone*. 

 Many aro natives of U. S. Ceanothus is peculiar to N. America. 



Properties. The berries of many species of Ilhainnus are violent purgatives. The Zizyphua 

 Jujuba yields the well-known jujube paste of tho shops. Tho leaves of Ceanothus have been 

 used as a substitute for tea. 



GENERA. 



Flowers clustered, axillary. Petals as long as sepals or none Riiamnus 1 



Flowers clustered, terminal. Petals on long exserted claws C'EANOTaus 2 



Flowers panicled, terminal. Petals as long as the sepals Berciiemia 8 



Flowers spicate, terminal. Petals very minute Segkegatia 4 



1. RHAMNUS, L. Buckthorn. (The Greek name.) Calyx urceo- 

 late, 4 or 5-cleft ; petals 4 or 5, notched, lobed or entire, or sometimes 

 wanting ; ovary free, not immersed in the thin torus, 2 to 4 -celled ; 

 styles 2 to 4, more or less united ; drupe containing 2 to 4 cartilaginous 

 nuts. — Lvs. alternate, rarely opposite. Fls. in axillary clusters. 



§ Flowers tctrnmerous. Leaves with arcunte veins Nos. 1, 3 



% Flowers pentamerous. Leaves with straightish veinlets Nos. 3, 4 



1 R. catharticus L. Tliorny; lvs. ovate, denticulate-serrate; fls. fascicled; 

 polygamo-dicecious, mostly tetrandrous ; sty. 4, at apex distinct and recurved ; fr. 

 globular, 4-seeded. — Cultivated in hedges, and occasionally found wild in N. Eng. 

 and N. Y. It is a shrub or tree 10 to 15f high, spreading, with thorns termin- 

 nating the short branches. Lvs. somewhat opposite. 1 to 2' long, $ as wide, usu* 

 ally with an abrupt acumination, and with 5 to 7 arcuate veins. Pedicels 3 to 4" 

 long. Fls. greenish. Petals inconspicuous, entire (sometimes ?), narrower than 

 the lanceolate sepals. Berries black, with a green juice, cathartic, and forming 

 with alum the pigment called sap green. 



