(SMILAX FAMILY.) 475 



ORDER 149. SMILACE^. (SMILAX FAMILY.) 



Herbs or climbing shrubs, not essentially distinct from the Lily Family, 

 but with ribbed and veiny reticulated leaves, and separate styles or stig- 

 mas. Leaves not sheathing, often bearing tendrils. Fruit baccate. 



SUBORDER I. EUSMILACE2E. (SMILAX FAMILY.) Flowers di- 

 oecious, in axillary and umbel-like clusters. Anthers 1-celled. Stigmas 

 1-3, sessile or nearly so. Ovules 1 - 2 in each cell of the ovary, ortho- 

 tropous, suspended. Tendril-bearing vines. Flowers- small. Leaves 

 alternate. 



1. SMILAX. Cells of the ovary 1-ovuled. Woody vines. 



2. COPROSMANTHUS. Cells of the ovary 2-ovuled. Climbing herbs. 



SUBORDER II. TRILLIACE^E. (TRILLIUM FAMILY.) Flowers 

 perfect, terminal. Anthers 2-celled. Styles or stigmas 3. Ovules sev- 

 eral in each cell of the ovary, anatropous, horizontal. Erect herbs. 

 Leaves whorled. 



3. TRILLIUM. Exterior leaves of the perianth calyx-like, persistent. Stem 1-flowered. Leave* 



3 in a whorl, terminal. 



4. MEDEOLA. Leaves of the perianth alike, deciduous. Stem few- flowered. Leaves 3 -7' in 



a whorl, lateral and terminal. 



1. SMILAX, Tourn. CHINA BRIER. 



Flowers dioecious. Perianth bell-shaped, 6-leaved, the leaves nearly equal and 

 alike, deciduous. Stamens 6, inserted on the base of the perianth : anthers erect, 

 1-celled. Ovary free from the perianth, 1-3-celled, with a single orthotropous 

 pendulous ovule in each cell. Stigmas 1-3 (mostly 3), sessile or nearly so, 

 slender, spreading, or recurved. Berry 1 - 3-celled, 1-3-seeded. Seeds globu- 

 lar or angled. Embryo minute, in horny albumen. Woody and commonly 

 thorny or prickly vines, climbing by means of a pair of tendrils attached to the 

 petioles. Leaves alternate, ribbed, and reticulate-veined, mostly smooth and 

 shining. Flowers small, greenish, in stalked axillary clusters. 

 * Peduncles longer than the petioles or pedicels. 

 H- Peduncles flattened : berry black. 



1 . S. tamnoides, L. Stem scurfy when young, armed with stout subulate 

 prickles; branches mostly unarmed, compressed - 4-angled ; leaves deltoid-ovate, 

 or hastate -3-lobed, truncate or slightly cordate, rarely acute at the base, 5-7- 

 ribbed, often discolored ; the margins, ribs, and petiole smooth, or fringed with 

 fine prickles ; peduncles about twice as long as the petioles ; stigmas 1-3, mostly 

 solitary; berry commonly 1-seeded. (S. Bona-Nox, hastata, hederaefolia, &c. 

 of authors.) Swamps and thickets, Florida, and northward. May. 



2. S. Pseudo-China, L. Lower part of the stem beset with numerous 

 black needle-shaped prickles ; branches unarmed, slightly angled ; leaves ovate 

 or round-ovate, often contracted in the middle, rounded or cordate at the base, 



