RHAMNUS— CEANOTHUS 199 



Rhamnus alnifolia L'H e r i t i e r 1788 Dwarf Alder 



A small shrub 3-6 dm. high, thornless; bark gray or dark on the old 

 branches, young twigs puberulent; leaves alternate, ovate to elliptic, 

 rounded or narrowed at the base, acute or obtuse at the apex, crenate-ser- 

 rate, glabrous above, puberulent along the veins beneath, 4-10 cm. long, 2- 

 5 cm. wide, veins nearly straight, in 4-6 pairs, petioles 4-10 mm. long; 

 flowers 1-3 in the axils of the leaves and appearing with them, green, 

 small, 2-3 mm. broad, mostly dioecious, sepals 5, about 1 mm. long, petals 

 lacking, pedicels slender, 4-5 mm. long, fruit a black ovoid or globose 

 drupe, about 6 mm. in diameter, nutlets 3 : alnifolia, leaves as in 

 Alnus, the alder. 



Mostly in tamarack swamps throughout the northern half of the 

 state and as far south as Minneapolis. Distributed from Newfoundland 

 to British Columbia, south to New Jersey, Pa., 111., Neb., Wyo., etc. 

 Blossoms in May and June, fruit ripe in July and August. 



Ceanothus Linne 1753 

 (Ancient Greek name for some plant) 



Low bushes or shrubs with alternate, simple, petioled leaves; flowers 

 white, blue or yellow, in small umbel-like clusters forming dense panicles 

 or corymbs at the summit of naked flower branches, calyx-tube top- 

 shaped, sepals 5, incurved, petals 5, hooded, spreading with slender claw, 

 longer than the calyx lobes, attached under the disk, stamens 5, filaments 

 elongated, ovary sunk in the disk, 3-celled, styles 3, short; fruit a dry 

 capsule, 3-lobed, splitting lengthwise at maturity into 3 nutlets. 



A genus of 35 species, natives of North America and Mexico, only 

 the two following within our range. 



Key to the Species 



1. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, pubescent C. am eric anus 



2. Leaves oblong or narrowly oval, or elliptic- 



lanceolate, nearly smooth C. ovatus 



Ceanothus americanus Linne 1753 New Jersey Tea 



Branching shrub, 3-9 dm. high, several branches from a deep reddish 

 root, lower branches dark brown, upper ones densely puberulent or rusty- 

 colored ; leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, mostly obtuse or cordate at the base, 

 acute at the apex, finely serrate, pubescent on both sides especially along 



