ORDER L. CACTACE.E CACTUS-TRIBE. ORDER LIII. CUCURBITACEJ3 PUMPKIN-TRIBE. 



157 



sistent. An aquatic, with floating stems, in ponds and ditches. Not uncom- 

 mon. The following variety also occurs. 



Var. liin&sum. Stem procumbent and rooting, 2' 6' long, very slender ; 

 leaves mostly entire. A very small plant in muddy places. 



ORDER L. Cactacese. Cactus-tribe. 



1. OPtfNTIA. 



Sepals and petals numerous, united in a tube which adheres to 

 the ovary ; but is not produced beyond it. Stamens numerous, 

 shorter than the petals. Style cylindrical, with numerous, thick, 

 erect stigmas. Berry umbilicate at apex, tuberculate, prickly. 

 Per. 



1. 0. vulgaris. 



Prickly Pear. 



Prostrate, creeping, with articulated branches and ovate, broad and flattened 

 joints, with fascicles of prickles regularly arranged upon them ; prickles short 

 and numerous, each fascicle usually consistipg of several strong subulate spines ; 

 flowers yellow ; fruit crimson, nearly smooth, eatable. A. very curious plant, 

 found native south of Mass., in sandy fields and on rocks ; quite common in cul- 

 tivation. The larger spines are rarely produced at the North. June Jiity. 



2. CfeEEUS. 



Sepals very numerous, imbricated, adnate to the base of the 

 ovary, united into a long tube, the outer shorter, the inner pass- 

 ing into the petals. Stamens very numerous, coherent with the 

 tube. Style filiform, many-cleft at apex. Berry very scaly 

 with the vestiges of the sepals. Fleshy shrubs, with icoody, cylin- 

 drical axes, that are armed with clusters of spires from which the 

 flowers arise. Per. 



1. C. Phyllanthus. 



Branches ensiform, compressed, serrate ; flowers large, white, expanding by 

 night, fragrant, with the round tube much longer than the limb of the petals. 

 The branches are 2 feet long, or more. 



2. C. Pbyllanthoides. 



Branches ensiform, compressed, obovate, with spreading, rounded teeth; 

 flowers rose-color, expanding by day, arising from the lateral teeth of the 

 branches ; tube shorter than the limb of the petals. 



3. C. truncatus. 



Branching joints short, compressed, serrate, truncate at summit; flowers 

 pink, arising from the summit of the joints ; style longer than the stamens or 

 the reflexed petals. About a foot high. 



4. C. flagelliformis. Snake Cactus. 



Stem creeping, about 10-angled, hispid ; flowers bright pink, lateral, opening 

 by day, and lasting several days; tube slender, longer than the limb of the 

 petals ; stem about \' thick, and 2 4 feet long. 



ORDER LI. 



Grossulacese. Gooseberry- 

 family. 



1. EiBES. 

 Character same as that of the order. 



1. R. floridum. 



Wild Black Currant. 



Leaves subcordate at base, 3 5-lobed, sprinkled on both sides with resinous 

 dots, doubly serrate, pubescent beneath ; racemes pendulous, pubescent ; flow- 

 ers rather large, yellowish-green ; calyx cylindrical, smooth ; bracts linear, 

 longer than the pedicels; fruit ovoid-globose, smooth, black. A shrub, 3 4 

 feet high, not uncommon in woods and along fences. Fruit black, insipid. 

 May June. 



2. R. rubrum. 



Currant. 



Leaves subcordate, obliquely 3 5-lobed, mostly pubescent beneath, espe- 

 cially when young, serrate with mucronate teeth ; racemes nearly smooth, 

 pendulous ; flowers greenish, calyx rotate ; fruit globose, smooth, red, or some- 

 times white. A shrub, found every where in gardens, and native in the ex- 

 treme northern parts of the IT. 8. and north to the Arctic Ocean. It varies 

 much in the size and color of its fruit. 



3. R. nigrum. 



Black Currant. 



Leaves 3 5-lobed, punctate beneath, dentate-serrate, longer than the peti 

 oles ; flowers yellowish, in lax, hairy, slightly nodding racemes ; calyx cam- 

 panulate ; bracts nearly equal to the pedicels ; fruit roundish, nearly black. A 

 shrub, in gardens, cultivated for the medicinal jelly made from the fruit May. 



4. R. anreum. Golden Currant. 



Glabrous; leaves 3-lobed, shorter than the petioles; lobes divaricate, entire, 

 or with a few teeth ; flowers numerous, golden yellow, very fragrant, in lax, 

 many-flowered racemes; calyx tubular, longer than the pedicels; fruit smooth, 

 oblong or globose, yellow, at length brown, pleasant. A beautiful shrub, na- 

 tive of Missouri, common in cultivation, and a favorite for its ornamental and 

 fragrant flowers. 



5. R. Cynosbati. 



Prickly Gooseberry. 



Stems unarmed or prickly; subaxillary spines mostly in pairs; leaves 

 roundish-cordate, 3 5-lobed, pubescent, especially when young; the lobes in- 

 cisely serrate ; racemes loose, nodding, few (2 3) flowered ; flowers yellowish- 

 green ; calyx-tube cylindric; segments at length reflexed, shorter than the 

 tube, and longer than the obovate petals; fruit prickly. A shrub, 3 4 feet 

 high, not uncommon in the Northern States, along fences and in woods, usually 

 with unarmed stems. Fruit brownish-purple, eatable. May June. 



6. R.-hirtellum. 



Wild Gooseberry. 



Stem unarmed ; subaxillary spines short, mostly solitary ; leaves roundish, 

 deeply 3 5-lobed, nearly smooth, pubescent beneath when young, shining 

 above, incisely toothed ; peduncles smooth, 1 3-flowered ; flowers white ; 

 calyx cylindrical ; segments twice as long as the tube ; petals spatulate, ungui- 

 culate ; stamens exsert, smooth, twice as long as the petals ; fruit smooth. Not 

 uncommon in low woods. Stem 2 4 feet high. 



7. R. Uva-crispa. 



English Gooseberry. 



Stem prickly ; leaves roundish, 3 5-lobed ; pubescent beneath, on short, 

 hairy petioles ; peduncles hairy, 1-flowered ; flowers whitish ; calyx campanu- 

 late ; style and ovary hairy ; fruit smooth or hairy, globose. Very frequent in 

 cultivation, with many varieties, both in the size and color of the fruit, which 

 is red, white, green, or yellow, and often weighs more than an ounce. April. 



ORDER LII. Passifloraceae. Passion-flower- 

 family. 



I. PASSIFL6RA. 



Calyx campanulate at base, 5-cleft, the throat with a conspic- 

 uous filamentous crown. Petals 5, sometimes none. Stamens 5, 

 connate with the stipe of the ovary. Anthers large, elongated- 

 Stigmas 3, clavate, capitate. Fruit pulpy, baccate. 



1. P. coernlea. Passion-flower, 



Stem shrubby, climbing; leaves palmately and deeply 5-parted ; segments 

 oblong-linear, entire, all but the terminal one, which is often 2-lobed ; flowers 

 large, blue outside, white and purple within ; petals glandular, with an invo- 

 lucre of 8 entire bracteoles, near the flower ; filaments of the crown shorter 

 than the petals. A shrubby climber, not uncommon in cultivation, and ad- 

 mired for its large, beautiful, but evanescent, flowers, which last but a day. 



ORDER LIII. Cucurbitaceae. Pumpkin-tribe. 



1. SlCYOS. 



Flowers monoecious. STERILE FLOWERS Calyx 5-toothed ; 

 teeth subulate or minute. Corolla rotate, consisting of 5 nearly 

 distinct segments. Stamens 5, inonadelphous, or at length sepa- 

 rating into 3 parcels. Anthers contorted. FERTILE FLOWERS 

 Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed, contracted above. Petals 5, 

 united below into a campanulate corolla. Fruit ovate, mernbra- 

 naceous, hispid or echinate with spiny bristles. Seed large, 

 compressed. An. 



1. S. angulatus. Wild Cucumber. 



Stem climbing by tendrils, branching, hairy ; leaves roundish, cordate at 

 base, 5-angled, 5-lobed ; lobes acuminate, denticulate ; tendrils 3 5-cleft ; flow- 

 ers whitish, marked with green lines; sterile ones in crowded racemes, on 



