LILIACEAE. 7 
Ruscus. Butcher’s Broom. 
(Family Liliaceae). - 
Shrubs, sometimes scrambling: 
appearing to possess evergreen 
foliage because of the peculiar 
leaf-like branches. Stems green: 
pith lacking,—the wood “endoge- 
nous” as in a corn-stalk. Buds 
searcely evident, developing im- 
mediately into often pungent 
striate leaf-like branches. Leaf- 
sears lacking, the true leaves rep- 
resented by peristent scales from 
the axils of which the leaf-like 
branches arise. On the backs or 
margins of some of these, other 
scales appear, and flowers are 
borne in the axils of these. 
Except in greenhouses, Ruscus 
is grown only in the warmer parts 
of the world where some of the 
species are sometimes used to 
cover trellis-work. It illustrates 
the leaf-like branches called cladodia or cladophylls, familiar 
in the Boston vine or “smilax’” of florists. Though rarely 
seen growing, it will be recognized (dyed red) as an oCcCa- 
sional component of Christmas decorations. 
Other examples of cladodia or phyllocladia are afforded by 
Muhlenbeckia and Phyllanthus. A superficially comparable ap- 
pearance of Helwingia results from the adnation of an in- 
florescence-branch to the subtending leaf. 
1. Stems round: flowers dorsal on the flat branches. 2. 
Stems deeply fluted: flowers marginal. R. androgynus. 
2. Stems smooth: cladophylls large. R. Hypoglossum. 
Stems striate: leaf-like branches small. (1). R. aculeatus. 
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