80 CELASTRACE^:. (STAFF-TREE FAMILY.) 



1. S. frutescens, Jacq. Smooth; leaves obovate-oblong, entire, acute 

 or obtuse ; flowers 3-5 in a cluster, the slender pedicels arising from a wart- 

 like peduncle; drupe globose. South Florida. A small tree with hard 

 and close-grained wood. Leaves 1 ' long, pale green. 



4. EUONYMUS, L. SPINDLE-TREE. 



Flowers perfect. Calyx flat, 4 - 5-cleft. Petals 4 - 5, spreading. Stamens 

 4 - 5, very short, inserted with the petals under tbe broad and fleshy disk which 

 surrounds the ovary. Ovary 3 - 5-celled, with 2 erect or resupinate ovules in 

 each cell. Style very short. Capsule 3- 5-celled, loculicidally 3- 5-valved. 

 Seed enclosed in a red pulpy aril. Erect or trailing shrubs, with 4-angled 

 branches, opposite serrate leaves, and greenish or purplish flowers in axillary 

 peduucled cymes. 



1. E. AmericamiS, L. STRAWBERRY BUSH. Flowers greenish, pen- 

 tamerous ; peduncles 1-3-ftowered; capsule warty; leaves short-petioled, 

 varying from ovate or obovate to linear-lanceolate, serrulate. Low shadv 

 \V.M ids. May- June. Shrub 3- 6 high. Leaves 1'- 2' long. 



2. E. atropurpureus, Jaccj. Flowers purple, tetramerous ; peduncles 

 many-flowered ; capsule smooth ; leaves oblong, on rather long petioles, ser- 

 rulate. River banks, chiefly in. the upper districts. May -June. Shrub 

 8- 12 high. Leaves 2' -5' long. Flowers dark purple. 



5. CELASTRUS, L. STAFF-TREE. 



Flowers somewhat dioecious. Calyx cup-shaped, 5-cleft. Petals 5, spread- 

 ing. Stamens 5, inserted with the petals on the edge of the cup-shaped 

 fleshy disk which fills the tube of the calyx, abortive in the fertile flower. 

 Ovary 2 - 4-celled, the cells 2-ovuled. Style thick. Capsule globose, com- 

 monly 3-celled and 3-valved. Seeds 1-2 in each cell, enclosed in a fleshy 

 scarlet aril. Embryo in the axis of copious fleshy albumen. Climbing 

 shrubs, with alternate leaves, and small greenish flowers in axillary or ter- 

 minal racemes. 



1. C. scandens, L. Leaves oblong-ovate or obovate, acuminate, serrate, 

 smooth ; racemes terminating the branches, nearly simple ; capsule orange- 

 colored. Woods and banks of streams along the mountains of Nortli 

 Carolina. June. 



6. MAYTENUS, Juss. 



Flowers polygamous. Calyx flat, 5-cleft. Petals 5. Stamens 5, very short, 

 inserted with the petals under the edge of the flat circular disk which en- 

 velopes the ovary. Ovary 2 -3-celled, with a solitary erect ovule at the base 

 of each cell. Style very short and thick. Stigma 2 - 3-lobed. Capsule cori- 

 aceous, 1 -3-celled, loculicidally 2 -3-valved, yellow within. Seeds 1-3, en- 

 closed in a thin pulpy aril. Embryo in the axis of thin fleshy albumen. 

 Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate. Flowers chiefly in axillary 

 clusters. 



