Rhamnaceae. 



219 



Ceanothus. New Jersey Tea. 

 (Family Rhamnaceae). 



For our purposes low and de- 

 ciduous shrubs, sometimes with 

 twig-spines. Twigs rounded, 

 rather slender, more or less pu- 

 berulent, green or brownish: pith 

 relatively large, white, continuous, 

 rounded. Buds small, solitary, 

 sessile or often developing the first 

 season, ovoid, with several glab- 

 rate stipular scales of which the 

 lowest only are distinct and the 

 leaf-blades are very hairy. Leaf- 

 scars alternate, half-round, some- 

 what raised, small: bundle-trace 1, 

 transverse, more or less evidently 

 compound; sometimes distinctly 3: 

 stipules small, persistent or leav- 

 ing narrow scars. Bases of the 

 half-inferior clustered capsules 

 usually persist and some tender 

 species have opposite evergreen 

 leaves. In California known as wild lilac. 



Winter-character references: Ceanothus americanus. 

 Hitchcock (4), 134, f. 16-18; Schneider, f. 94. C. ovatus. 

 Hitchcock (3), 9. 



Except for the short time when they are in flower, the 

 New Jersey tea shrubs of the Northeast are of little interest; 

 but several Mexican and Californian species have been favor- 

 ites in the milder climate of Europe for many years, and a 

 number of their hybrids are very attractive in English gar- 

 dens. 



Unarmed, low-bushy. (1). C. americanus. 



Spiny, prostrate: twigs gray-hairy. (2). C. Fendleri. 



