290 ORDER 43. RHAMNACE^E. 



long, as wide, acute or often rounded at base, on petioles J to 1' long. Pad. 

 opposite, slender, 1 to 2' long, each with a cyme of 3 to 6 flowers. Cor. dark- 

 purple, 4 to 5" diam. Caps, crimson, smooth. Sds. covered in a bright red 

 aril. Jn. 



2 E. Americanus L. BURNING BUSH. Branches smooth, 4-angled; Ivs. oval 

 and elliptic-lanceolate, subentire below, acuminate, acute or obtuse at apex, smooth, 

 sessile or nearly so ; ped. round, about 3-flowered; fls. mostly pentamerous; caps, 

 verrucous. Shrub of smaller size than the preceding, with small Ivs. in moist 

 woods, U. S. and Can. Lvs. 1 to 2' long, J as wide, coriaceous. Ped. slender, 



1, 2 or 4-flowered. Fls. a little larger than in No. 1, yellow and pink, the parts 

 rarely in 3s. Capsule dark red, warty. Sds. with a bright- red aril. Jn. 



/?. OBOVATUS T. & G. Trailing and rooting ; Ivs. obovate-oval, rather pointed 

 or obtuse, acute and short-petiolate at base. Ohio, &c. (E. obovatus Nutt.) 



3 E. augustifoliua Ph. Branches 4-sided; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, inequilateral 

 and subfalcate, acute at each end, obscurely serrate, almost sessile ; pedicels 1 to 

 3-flowered; fls. 5-merous, pet. distinctly clawed. Woods near Savannah, Ga, St. 

 decumbent. Branches regularly opposite, so that the plant appears like a bipin- 

 nate leaf. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, 3 to 5" wide, sharply acute; fls. as large as in No. 



2. Apr., May. 



4 E. Europseus L. Lvs. oblong-lanceolate, serrate, glabrous ; ped. compressed, 

 3-flowered; fls. usually tetrandrous. Native of Europe. A handsome shrub, 4 to 

 12f high, sometimes found in shrubberies, although certainly iiot superior in ele- 

 gance to No. 1. May Jl. \ 



ORDER XLIII. RHAMNACE^E. BUCKTHORNS. 



Shrubs or small trees, often spiny, with simple, alternate Ivs. with flowers regular, 

 sometimes apetalous or otherwise imperfect; with the stamens perigynous, as many 

 (4 or 5) as the valvate sepals, alternate with them, and opposite to the petals when 

 they are present. Disk fleshy ; capsule or berry with one albuminous seed in each 

 cell. 



Genera 42, specie* 250, distributed throughout all countries except those in the frigid zones. 

 Many are natives of U. S. Ceanothus is peculiar to N. America. 



Properties. The berries of many species of lihainnus are violent purgatives. The Zizyphus 

 Jujuba yields the well-known jujube paste of the shops. The leaves of Ceanothus have been 

 used as a substitute for tea. 



GENERA. 



Flowers clustered, axillary. Petals as long as sepals or none T.IIAMNTTS 1 



Flowers clustered, terminal. Petals on long exserted claws CF.ANOTIHTS 2 



Flowers panicled, terminal. Petals as long as the sepals BKKCIIEMIA 8 



Flowers spicate, terminal. Petals very minute SAGEEETIA 4 



\. RHAMNUS, L. BUCKTHORN. (The Greek name.) Calyx urceo- 

 late, 4 or 5-cleft ; petals 4 or 5, notched, lobed or entire, or sometimes 

 wanting ; ovary free, not immersed in the thin torus, 2 to 4-cellecl ; 

 styles 2 to 4, more or less united ; drupe containing 2 to 4 cartilaginous 

 nuts. Lvs. alternate, rarely opposite. Fls. in axillary clusters. 



Flowers tetramerous. Leaves with arcuate veins Iv T os. 1, 2 



Flowers pentamerous. Leaves with straightish veinlets Nos. 3, 4 



1 R. cathdrticus L. Thorny; Ivs. ovate, denticulate-serrate; fls. fascicled; 

 polygamo-dicecious, mostly tetrandrous; sty. 4, at apex distinct and recurved; fr. 

 globular, 4-seeded. Cultivated in hedges, and occasionaDy found wild in N. Eng. 

 and N. Y. It is a shrub or tree 10 to ]5f high, spreading, with thorns termin- 

 nating the short branches. Lvs. somewhat opposite. 1 to 2' long, % as wide, usu- 

 ally with an abrupt acumination, and with 5 to 7 arcuate veins. Pedicels 3 to 4" 

 long. Fls. greenish. Petals inconspicuous, entire (sometimes ?), narrower than 

 the lanceolate sepals. Berries black, with a green juice, cathartic, and forming 

 with alum the pigment called snp green. 



