296 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART II. 
CHAP. VII. 
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER 
MENISPERMA‘CEZ. 
Distinctive Characteristics. Thalamiflorous (H. B.). Sexes, inmost, dicecious ; 
in the rest, moncecious or polygamous. Sepals and petals similar ; the latter 
not present in some. Stamens monadelphous, or rarely free; equal in number 
with the petals, and opposite to them, rarely double that number, or fewer. 
Ovaries, in some, numerous, each one-styled, all somewhat connected at the 
base; or, in others, only one, crowned with many styles, and many-celled, and, 
therefore, consisting of many carpels grown together, very rarely, one-celled, 
and this, most likely, by abortion. Fruit, in most, baccate or drupaceous, one- 
seeded or many-seeded, oblique or lunulate, compressed, with the seeds of the 
same form. Embryo curved or peripheric. Albumen none, or very sparing 
and fleshy. (Don’s Mill., i. p. 102., with adaptation.) — Climbing or twining 
shrubs, mostly natives within the tropics, with alternate, stalked, usually cor- 
date or peltate, simple, rarely compound leaves, always with the middle nerve 
terminating in an awn or point; destitute of stipules. Flowers small ; in most 
species, in axillary racemes. (Don’s Mill., i. p. 102.) The species in British 
gardens are included in the genera Menispérmum and Cécculus, and are natives 
of North America and Dahuria. They are all of the easiest culture, and are 
propagated by dividing the root, or by cuttings. 
Genus I. 
hy 
MENISPE’7RMUM L. Tue Moonseep. Lin. Syst. Dicecia Dode- 
candria. 
Identification. Tourn. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p.102.; Don’s Mill., 1. p. 112. 
Synonymes. Ménisperme, Fr. ; Mondsaame, Ger. 
Derivation. From méne, the moon, and spérma, a seed; from the seeds being crescent-shaped, 
Gen. Char. Sepals and petals disposed in a quaternary order, in two or three 
series. Male flowers with 16 to 20 stamens; female flowers with 2 to 4 
ovaries. Drupe baccate, roundish-kidney-shaped, 1-seeded.—Climbing shrubs, 
with alternate, peltate or cordate, smooth leaves. Peduncles axillary or 
supra-axillary. Male and female peduncles rather dissimilar. Flowers small, 
greenish-white. (Don’s Mill. i. p. 112.) 
41, M. cANADE’NSE. The Canadian Moonseed. 
Identification. Lin. Sp.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 102. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 112. 
Synonymes. M. canadénse var. « Lamarck; M. angulatum ‘Moench; Ménisperme du Canada, Bon . 
Jard. ; Canadischer Mondsaame, Ger. 
Engravings. Schkuhr. H., 3. t.337.; Lam. Dict., t. 824. ; and our jig. 42. 
Spec. Char. Leaves peltate, smoothish, somewhat 
cordate, roundish-angular; angles bluntish, ter- 
minal one abruptly awned, mucronate. Racemes 
solitary, compound, Petals 8. (Don’s Mill., i. 
p- 112.) A twining shrub,with thick woody roots, 
and numerous very slender shoots, which rise to 
the height of 12 ft. or 14 ft., but which, though 
ligneous, never attain any considerable diameter, 
and are not of many years’ duration. The stem 
twines in a direction contrary to the sun’s apparent 
motion, and is smooth and even, having more the 
appearance of a herbaceous plant, than of a shrub. The flowers are sm all, 
and the berries black. 
