82 CELASTRINE^!. [Ero.NVMrs. 



1. EUON'YMUS, L. Sl'IMH.E-TREE. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite, persistent ; stipules caducous. Flowers 

 small, in axillary cymes. Calyx 4-6-fid. Petals 4-6, and stamens as many, 

 both inserted on a broad, fleshy, 4-6-lobed disk. Ovary confluent with 

 the disk, 3-5-celled ; style short, stigma 3-5-lobed. Capsule 3-5-lol>ed 

 and celled, angled or winged, loculicidal, cells 1-2 seeded. Seeds with a 

 complete arillode, albumen fleshy ; embryo straight. DISTEIB. Temp. 

 Europe, Asia, and N. America; species 40. ETYM. Euonyme, mother of 

 the Furies, the berries being poisonous. 



1. E. europpe'us, L. ; leaves ovate- or oblong-lanceolate serrulate. 

 Copses and hedges, &c. from Lanarkshire southwards ; rare in Scotland, local 



in Ireland ; fl. May-June. A glabrous fetid shrub or tree, 5-20 ft. ; bark 



grey, smooth, twigs 4-angJed green. Leaves 1-4 in., acute or acuminate ; 



petioles short. Cymes dichotomous, 5-10 flowered ; peduncles 1-2 in. /'A-- rt 



\ in. diam., greenish white. Capsule ^ in., deeply 4-lobed, pale crimson ; 



arillode orange. DlSTRlB. Europe to the Caucasus, N. Africa, W. SiWia. 



Wood hard and tough, used for the finer sorts of gunpowder, spindles, &c. 



ORDER XXIV. RHAM NEJE. 



Trees or shrubs, often spiny, erect or climbing. Leaves simple, alter- 

 nate or opposite, often 3-5-nerved ; stipules small. Flowers small, BOme- 

 times unisexual, green or yellow. Calyx-tube coriaceous ; lobes 4-5, 

 triangular, valvate in bud. Petals 4, 5, or 0, inserted on the throat of 

 the calyx, small, usually clawed, hooded. Stamens 4-5, inserted with 

 and opposite the petals winch often enclose them, filaments subulate: 

 anthers small, versatile. Disk large, annular, cupular or coating tin 

 calyx-tube. Ovary 3-celled, sessile or sunk in the disk, free or mlnatc 

 to the calyx-tube ; styles short, simple or 3-lobed, stigmas terminal ; 

 ovules 1 in each cell, basal, erect, anatropous, rap he usually ventral. /',->/ if 

 various, free or girt with the calyx-tube. Seeds compressed, sometime.-, 

 arillate, albumen fleshy or ; embryo large, often green, cotyledons plano- 

 convex. DISTRIB. Chiefly in warm and temp, regions ; genera 37 ; species 

 430. AFFINITIES. With Celastrinece, and certain Euplwrbiacca:.- l'i:u- 

 PERTIES. Purgative. Rliamnus yields a green dye. 



l. RHAM'NUS, L. BUCKTHORN. 



Leaves alternate, deciduous. Flmccrs in small axillary cymes, often 

 unisexual. Calyx-tube urceolate. Petals 4-5 or 0. Stamens 4 or 5, very 

 short. Disk coating the calyx-tube. Ovary free, base sunk in the bottom 

 of the calyx-tube, 3-4-eelled ; style 3-4-fid, stigmas obtuse. Dru/x' girt 

 with the calyx-tube ; stones 2-4, 1-seeded. Seeds obovoid, albumen fleshy ; 

 cotyledons flat or with recurved margins ; radicle short. Temp, and imp. 

 regions, none Australian ; species 60. Position of raphe variable, dorsal 

 lateral or ventral. 



1. R. cathar'ticus, L. ; branchlets spinous, leaves ovate acutely serrate, 

 nerves divergent, flowers 4-merous dioecious. 

 Woods and thickets from Ayrshire southwards, chiefly on chalk, perhaps not 



wild S. of Durham, rare in Ireland ; fl. May-July. A rigid shrub, 5-10 ft., 



