44 BARBERRY FAMILY. 



1. ASIMINA, PAP AW of U. S. (Creole name.) Petals greenish or 

 yellowish, becoming dark, dull purple as they enlarge ; the 3 inner small. 

 Pistils few in the centre of the globular head of anthers, making one or 

 more large, oblong, pulpy fruits, sweet and eatable when over-ripe in autumn. 

 Flowers in early spring preceding the leaves. 



A. triloba, Common Papaav (wholly different from the true Papaw of "W. 

 Ind.), is a shrub or small tree, wild W. & S. and sometimes planted, with obo- 

 vate-lanceolate leaves, and banana-shaped fruit 3' - 4' long. 



A. parvifldra is a small-flowered, and A. grandifl6ra a large-flowered 

 species of S. E. States, both small-fruited, and A. pygm^a is a dwarf one 

 with nearly evergreen leaves far South. 



4. MENISPERMACE^, MOONSEED FAMILY. 



Woody or partly woody twiners, with small dioecious flowers; 

 their sepals and petals much alike, and gne before the other (usu- 

 ally 6 petals before as many sepals) ; as many or 2 - 3 times as 

 many stamens ; and 2 — G pistils, ripening into 1-seeded little stone- 

 fruits or drupes ; the stone curved, commonly into a wrinkled or 

 ridged ring ; the embryo curved with the stone. Leaves palmate 

 or peltate : no stipules. Anthers commonly 4-lobed. 



1. COCCULUS. Sepals, petals, and stamens each 6. 



2. MENISPERMUM. Sepals and petals G or 8. Stamens in sterile flowers 12 - 20. 



1. COCCULUS. (Name means a little berry.) Only one species in U. S. 

 C. Carolinus, Carolina C. Somewhat downy ; leaves ovate or heart- 

 shaped, entire or sinuate-lobed ; flowers gxeenish, in summer ; fruits red, as 

 large as peas. From Virginia S. & W. 



2. MENISPERMUM, MOONSEED. (Name from the shape of the 

 stone of tiie fruit.) Only one species, 



M. Canadense, Canadian Moonseed. Almost smooth ; leaves peltate 

 near the edge ; flowers white, in late summer ; fruits black, looking like small 

 grapes. 



5. BERBERIDACE^, BARBERRY FAMILY. 



Known generally by the perfect flowers, having a petal before 

 each sepal, and a stamen before each petal, with anthers opening 

 by a pair of valves like trap-doors, hinged at the top (Lessons, 

 p. 114, fig. 236), and a single simple pistil. But No. 6 has nu- 

 merous stamens, 5 and 6 have more petals than sepals, and the 

 anthers of 2 and 6 open lengthwise, in the ordinary way. There 

 are commonly bracts or outer sepals behind the true ones. All blos- 

 som in spring, or the true Barberries in early summer. 



* Shrubs or shrubby : stamens 6 : berry fete-seeded. 



1. BERBERIS. Flowers yellow, in racemes : petals with two deep-colored spots 



at the biise. Leaves simple, or simply pinnate. Wood and inner bark yellow. 

 Leaves with sharp bristly or spiny teeth. 



2. NANDINA. Flowers white, in panicles : anthers opening lengthwise. Leaves 



twice or thrice pinnate. 



* # Perennial herbs. 



+- With one to three twice or thrice ternately compound leaves. 



3. EPDIEDIUM. Stamens 4. Petals 4 hollow spurs or hoods. Pod several- 



seeded. Leaflets with bristly^teeth. 



