KHAMNACE^. 227 



apex, serrulate, with about 3 principal lateral veins on eacli side of 

 the midrib, from which they spring at an extremely acute angle, and 

 then describe a fiat curve towards the apex of the leaf, where they 

 again converge. Stipules subulate, much shorter than the petiole. 

 Flowers dioecious, tetramerous. Style 2- to 5- (generally 4-) cleft. 

 Berry usually 4-seeded. 



In woods, copses, and hedgerows. Common in chalky districts, 

 and rather sparingly distributed over England. In Scotland it 

 does not apparently extend North of Dumfriesshire, except in 

 localities where it has been planted. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Shrub. Spring and Summer, 



A much-branched rigid shrub or small tree, usually about 6 feet 

 high, but sometimes as much as 10 or 12. Bark smooth, blackish- 

 brown, ash-coloured on the twigs. Leaves in fascicles on the 

 branches of preceding years : on the young shoots of the year 

 (which are often downy) they are rather distant, generally opposite 

 towards the base of the shoot, but more generally alternate 

 towards the apex, though this arrangement is by no means constant. 

 Petiole much shorter than the lamina ; the latter 1 to 2 inches 

 long when full grown, varying from elliptical to oval, sometimes 

 rounded, but more frequently shortly acuminated towards the 

 apex ; the lateral veins very prominent on the under side, the 

 margin very finely and rather unequally serrate, most of the 

 serratures tipped with black glands. Stipules deciduous. Elowers 

 greenish-yellow, ^ inch across, in the axils of the fascicles of leaves 

 developed from the wood of the preceding year. Pedicels solitary 

 or aggregated, longer than the calyx. Calyx tube of the male 

 flowers bell-shaped, that of the female flowers cup-shaped; the 

 segments lanceolate-acute, as long as the tube. Petals very small, 

 linear, erect. Styles generally 4-cleft. Ovary rudimentary in the 

 male flowers, and stamens in the female. Berries when ripe the 

 size of a small pea, globose, depressed at the top, surrounded at the 

 base by a portion of the calyx tube which remains, while the upper 

 part and the segments fall off. Seeds generally 4, obscurely 

 gTooved on the back. Leaves dull green, slightly downy on the 

 petioles and under side of the veins when young, glabrous when old. 



Purging Sitickthorn. 



Frencb, Nerprun Purgatif. German, Gemeiner Kreuzdom. 



This shrub yields a substance which has long found a place in the Materia 

 Medica of our country, but on account of the violence of its action is now but 

 seldom used. The berries are the officinal parts of the tree, and produce very powerful 

 cathartic effijcts. In Lyte'a translation of " Dodoeu's Herbal" it is said, " they be not 

 nieete to be ministered but to young and lustie people of the countrie which doe set 

 more store of their money than their lives." Twenty of the fresh berries were con- 



