SUPPLEMENT 



There is no sharp line between trees and shrubs, sometimes habitat 

 determines whether a given species is to become a tree or a shrub. 

 In their habits, shrubs, as well as trees, present much of interest, and 

 there is every reason why children should be helped to a growing 

 acquaintance with the most common and most attractive shrubs of 

 their district. Some deciduous shrubs that awaken very early, have 

 been already noted in Chapter V, the poison oak, some species of 

 Ribes, and Ceanothus crassifolius. The poison oak, Rhusdiversiloba, 

 T. and G., is very often erect, but against a steep bank or a tree it 

 frequently asserts its power to climb by rootlets. It blossoms in early 

 spring, and the bees frequent its greenish white flowers. Rhus trilo- 

 bata, Nutt., somewhat resembles the poison oak, but it is usually lower 

 and has smaller, greener and more numerous leaves. The twigs of 

 this Rhus are used by the Indians for their finest basket work, and its 

 fruits are eaten. Rhus integrifolia, B. & H., and R. ovata, Wats., of 

 the south, are evergreen, and form dense thickets. They are some- 

 times called Indian lemonade bushes on account of the acid outer 

 coat of the fruits, and sometimes mahogany trees because of their 

 hard wood. Their pretty white or rose-colored flowers appear in 

 December or January, They provide honey, and are cross-pollinated 

 by bees, some plants being staminate, others pistillate. Another 

 Rhus of Southern California, R. laurina, Nutt., is abundant near the 

 sea and on the coast islands. Its large, evergreen leaves are very 

 aromatic aud have often much red coloring matter, suggesting the 

 common name sumac ; it blooms later than the others. 



In the south the wild lilac, or Ceanothus, already described, is soon 

 followed by C. divaricatus, Nutt., and other species. In the north 

 C. thyrsi/torus ', Esch., attains tree-like proportions. The flowers of 

 all these species provide honey, some of them lavishly, and the honey 

 is much appreciated by the bees. The stamens, which at first are 

 distant from the pistils, later on bend over and place their anthers 

 against the stigmas. 



The yellow- flowered currant, Rides tenuiflorum^ Lindl., blooms in 

 January or February, just in time to be pollinated by the earliest 

 carpenter bees. The gooseberries noted in Chapter V, are soon fol- 

 lowed by the more common R. spdtiosum, Pursh., with tubular, 

 scarlet flowers. These flowers are usually too long for any but hum- 

 mingbirds and the largest bees to get honey in a legitimate way ; but 

 smaller bees sometimes steal the honey by biting through the calyx 

 tube. This Ribes has beautiful, glossy leaves and is densely clothed 

 with spines, so that it is gaining favor with gardeners as a hedge 

 shrub. 



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