44 BARBERRY FAMILY. 



1. ASIMINA, PAPAW of U. S. (Creole name.) Petals ygjcpish OT 

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

 Pistils ft-\v in the centre of the globular hr:id of authors, 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 W. 

 Ind.), is a shrub or small tree, wild W. & S. and sometimes planted, with obo- 

 . vatc-lanccolate leaves, and banana-shaped fruit 3' -4' long. 



? A. parvifl6ra is a small-flowered, and A. grandifibra a large-flowered 

 specjes of S^E, States, both small-fruited, and A. pygmsea is a dwarJLono 

 with nearly evergreen leaves far South. 



4. MENISPERMACE^E, 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 beibre a; many sepals) ; as many or 2 - 3 times as 

 many stamens; and 2 G 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 stone. Leaves palmate 

 or peltate : no stipules. Anthers commonly 4-lobed. 



1. COCCULUS. Sepals, petals, and stamens each 6. 



2. MENISPERMUM. Sepals and petals 6 or 8. Stamens in sterile flowers 12 - 20. 



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



C. Carolinus, CAROLINA C. Somewhat downy ; leaves ovate or heart 

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

 large as peas. From Virginia S. & W. 



2. MENISPERMUM, MOOXSEED. (Name from the shape of the 

 stone of the fruit.) Only one species, 



M. Canad&DSe, CANADIAN MOOXSEED. Almost smooth ; leaves peltate 

 near the edge ; tlowcrs white, in late summer ; fruits black, looking like small 

 grapes. 



5. BERBERIDACE^E, BARBERRY FAMILY. 



Known generally by the perfect flowers, having a petal before 

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

 by a pair of valves like trap-doors, hinged at the top (Lessons, 

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

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

 anthers of 2 and 6 open lengthwise, in the ordinary way. Tin-re 

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

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

 # Shmbs or shrubby: stamens 6 : berry few-seeded. 



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

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

 I.c:ivc* with sharp bristly or spiny teeth. 



3. NAXDINA. Flcm-i.rs white, in panicles : anthers opening lengthwise. Leaves 

 twice or thrice pinnate. 



# * Perennial herbs. 



- mth one to iJiree twice or thrice ternattly compound leaves. 



8. EPIMEDIUM. Stamens 4. Petals 4 hollow spurs or hoods. Pod sereral 

 seeded. Leaflets with bristly teeth. 



