44 BARBERRY FAMILY. 



1. ASIMINA, TAPAW of U. S. (Creole name.) Petals grecni. h or 

 yellowish, becoming dark dull purple as they enlarge ; the 3 inner small. 

 Pistils few in the centre of the globular head of anthers, making one or 

 more large, oblong, pulpy fruits, sweet and eatable when over-ripe in autumn. 

 Flowers in early spring preceding the leaves. 

 A. triloba, COMMON PAPAW (wholly different from the true Papaw of \V. 



Ind.'), is a shrub or small tree, wild "W. & S. and sometimes planted, with olx>- 



vate-lanceolate leaves, and banana-shaped fruit 3' - 4' long. 



A. parvifl6ra is a small-flowered, and A. grandiflbra a large-flowered 



species of S. E. States, both small-fruited, and A. pygmssa is a dwarf one 



with nearly evergreen leaves far South. 



4. MENISPERMACE^I, MOONSEED FAMILY. 



"Woody or partly woody twiners, with small dioecious flowers; 

 their sepals and petals much alike, and one before the other (usu- 

 ally 6 petals before as many sepals) ; as many or 2 o times as 

 many stamens ; and 2-6 pistils, ripening into 1 -seeded little stone- 

 fruits or drupes ; the stone curved, commonly into a wrinkled or 

 ridged ring ; the embryo curved with the^atonc. Leaves palmate 

 or peltate : no stipules. Anthers commoulyuA-lobed. 



1. COCCULUS. Sepals, petals, and stamens each G. 



2. MENISPERMUM. Sepals and petals G or 8. Stamens in sterile flowers 12 - 20. 



1. COCCULUS. (Name means a little berry.) Only one species in IT. S. 

 C. Carolinus, CAROLINA C. Somewhat uo\vny Heaves ovate or heart- 

 shaped, -entire or sinuate-lobed ; flowers greenish, in summer ; fruits red, as 

 large as peas. From Virginia S. & W. , 



2. MENISPBRMUM, MOONSKED. (Xamo from the shape of the 

 stone of the fruit.) Only one species, 



M. Canadense, CANADIAN: MOONSKKD. Almost smnntn : leaves peltate 

 near the edge; flowers white, in late summer; fruits bLi<-k ; ln<.kin:r like small 

 grapes. 



5. BERBERIDACE^, BARBERRY FAMILY. 



Known generally by the perfect flowers, having a petal before 

 each sepal, and a stamen before each petal, with anther opening 

 by a pair of valves like trapdoors, hinged at the top (l>>sons, 

 p. 114, fig. 236), and a single simple pistil. But No. C has nu- 

 merous stamens, 5 and G have more petals than sepals, and the 

 anthers of 2 and 6 open lengthwise, in the ordinary way. Tlajre 

 are commonly bracts or outer sepals behind the true ones. All blos- 

 som in spring, or the true Barberries in early summer. 

 * Shrubs or shrubby : stamens 6 : berry few-seedtd. 



1. BERBERIS. Flowers yellow, in racemes : petals with two deep-coloured spots 



at the base. Leaves simple, or simply pinnate. Wood and inner bark yellow. 

 Leaves with sharp bristly or spiny teeth. 



2. NANDINA. Flowers white, in pamcles : anthers opening lengthwise. Leave* 



twice or thrice pinnate. 



* # Perennial herbs. 



M- With one to three twice or thrice ternately compound leaves. 



8. EPIMEDIUM. Stamens 4. Petals 4 hollow spurs or hoods. Pod seve^H 

 seeded. Leaflets with bristly teeth. 



