RHAMNACEAE. 219 
CEANOTHUS. New Jersey Tea. 
(Family Rhamnaceae). 
For our purposes low and de- 
ciduous shrubs, sometimes with 
twig-spines. Twigs rounded, 
rather slender, more or less pu- 
berulent, green or brownish: pith 
relatively large, white, continuous, 
rounded. Buds_' small, _ solitary, 
sessile or often developing the first 
season, ovoid, with several glab- 
rate stipular scales of which the 
lowest only are distinct and the 
leaf-blades are very hairy. Leaf- 
sears alternate, half-round, some- 
what raised, small: bundle-trace 1, 
transverse, more or less evidently 
compound; sometimes distinctly 3: 
stipules small, persistent or leav- 
ing narrow scars. Bases of the 
Half-inferior clustered capsules 
usually persist and some tender 
species have opposite evergreen 
leaves.—In California known as wild lilac. 
Winter-character references: — Ceanothus americanus. 
Hitchcock (4), 134, f. 16-18; Schneider, f. 94. C. ovatus. 
Hitchcock (3), 9. ‘ 
Except for the short time when they are in flower, the 
New Jersey tea shrubs of the Northeast are of little interest; 
but several Mexican and Californian species have been favor- 
ites in the milder climate of Europe for many years, and a 
number of their hybrids are very attractive in English gar- 
dens. 
Unarmed, low-bushy. (1). C. americanus. 
Spiny, prostrate: twigs gray-hairy. (2). C. Fendleri. 
