RANUNCULACEAE. 



51 



ZANTHOKHIZA. Yellowroot. 

 ( Family Ranunculaceae ) . 



Small little-branched shrubs, 

 lemon-yellow when cut. Wood 

 tangentially diff used-porous : me- 

 dullary rays coarse. Twigs terete, 

 moderate, very smooth: pith re- 

 latively large, rounded, continu- 

 ous. Buds very unequal: the 

 lateral solitary, sessile, ovoid- 

 oblong, much compressed and 

 flattened against the stem, with 

 about 3 exposed blunt scales; the 

 terminal much larger, fusiform, 

 terete, with about 5 retuse mucro- 

 nate scales. Leaf-scars alternate, 

 low, shallowly U-shaped, more 

 then half-encircling the twig: 

 bundle-traces about 11: stipule- 

 scars lacking. 



The enlargement of the leaf- 

 base so as to embrace a large part 

 of the circumference of the stem, 



as in Aralia, Nandina, etc., and the yellow coloration of the 

 cut tissues, form ready aids to the determination of yellow- 

 root. Though low and lacking the graceful branching of many 

 plants, its foliage is pleasing, and it merits more general 

 planting than it receives. Its winter-characters are described 

 and figured by Schneider, p. 119, f. 121. 

 Glabrous: twigs gray: buds red-brown. Z. apiifolia. 



