RHAMNUS 197 



wide, petioles 1-2 cm. long; flowers in terminal racemes or panicles, yel- 

 lowish-green, 8-9 mm. broad, sepals short, triangular, petals 3-4 mm. long, 

 crenulate; fruit a yellow, globular capsule, about 1 cm. in diameter, seeds 

 with scarlet aril : scandens, climbing. 



In woods, common throughout the southern half of the state, less fre- 

 quent northward. Distributed from Quebec to North Carolina, especial- 

 ly along the mountains, west to Manitoba, Kan., Okla. and New Mexico. 

 Often planted as a climber on trellises, porches, etc. Sometimes it is 

 troublesome among young trees as it encircles and strangles them. Blos- 

 soms in June, fruit ripe in September and persisting through the winter. 



Rhamnaceae Buckthorn Family 



Erect or climbing shrubs or small trees, often thorny; leaves mostly 

 alternate, simple, stipulate, often prominently 3-5 nerved; flowers in 

 axillary or terminal cymes or racemes, small and regular, perfect or polyg- 

 amous, calyx-tube obconic or cylindric, sepals 4 or 5, small, petals 4-5, 

 inserted on the calyx-tube or lacking, stamens 4-5, in front of the 

 petals, disk fleshy; ovary free from or immersed in the disk, 3-5 (mostly 

 3) celled, one ovule in each cell; fruit a drupe or capsule, mostly 3- 

 celled, seeds solitary in each cell. 



KEY TO THE GENERA 



1. Calyx and disk free from the ovary, fruit a 



drupe Rhamnus 



2. Calyx and disk adherent to base of ovary, fruit 



a dry capsule Ceanothus 



Rhamnus Linne 1753 Buckthorn 

 (Gr. r h a m n o s, buckthorn) 



Shrubs or small trees with alternate or sometimes opposite, simple, 

 pinnately-veined leaves; flowers in axillary racemes, panicles or cymes, 

 perfect or polygamous, greenish, calyx-tube campanulate, lined with a 

 disk, 4-5 toothed, petals 4-5, small, short-clawed, notched at the end and 

 hooded or globose, sometimes lacking, disk free from the ovary, stamens 

 4-5, in front of the petals, short, ovary 3-4 celled, style 3-4 cleft ; fruit a 

 berry-like drupe, oblong or globose, containing 3-4 nutlet-like seeds. 



A genus of about 75 species, native of temperate and warm regions. 

 Five of these occur in eastern and six in the western parts of North 

 America. 



