154 



AUBOIIETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 



GENUS II. 



C'ELA'STRUS L. THE CELASTRUS, or STAFF TREE. Lin. Syst. Pentandria 



Monogynia. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 270. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 5. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 6. 

 Si/nonymes. Euonymoldes Mopnch ; Celastre, Fr. ; Celaster, Ger. 



rivation. From" kelas, the latter' season : the fruit remaining on the tree all the winter. The 

 kelastros of the Greeks is supposed to be the u6nymus. 



Gen. Char. Calyx small, 5-lobed. Petals 5, unguiculate. Ovary small, im- 

 mersed in a 10-striped disk. Stigmas 2 3. Capsule 2 3 valved. Seed 1, 

 in a large fleshy aril. (Don's Mill.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; stipules minute. One 

 hardy species ; a climbing shrub, a native of North America. 



1 1. C. SCA'NDENS L. The climbing-stemmed Celastrus, or Staff Tree. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 285. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 6. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 6. ; Tor. and Gray, 1. p. 257. 

 Synonymes. Bourreau des Arbres, Fr. ; Baummorder, Ger. ; Bittersweet, Waxwork, Amer. 

 Engravings. Nouv. Du Ham., 1. t. 95. ; and our Jig. 211. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Thornless, climbing, smooth. Leaves oval, acuminate 

 serrate. Flowers dioecious. (Dec. Prod.) A deciduous twining shrub. 

 Canada to Virginia. Height 5 ft. to 20 ft. Introduced in 1736. Flowers 

 small, pale yellowish green ; June. Capsules orange ; ripe in September. 

 Seed reddish brown, coated with a bright orange aril, changing at last to 



scarlet. 



. 

 The stems are woody and flexible, and twist 



themselves round trees and shrubs, or round each 

 other, to the height of 12 or 15 feet, or upwards, 

 girding trees so closely as, in a few years, to de- 

 stroy them ; whence the French and German names, 

 which signify " tree strangler." The leaves are about 

 3 in. long, and nearly 2 in. broad, serrated, of a lively 

 green above, but paler on the under side. The plant 

 prefers a strong loamy soil, rather moist than dry; and 

 is readily propagated by seeds, layers, or cuttings. 



Other Species of Celdstrus. C. bulldtus, described from a figure of Plukenet, 

 is, according to Torrey and Gray, a doubtful planjt. C. nepalensis and C. 

 canthifolius are in Messrs. Loddiges's collection, but rather tender. 



GENUS III. 



211. CeWstrus scdndens. 



NEMOPA'NTHES Rafin. 



THE NEMOPANTHES. 

 Dioe'cia. 



Lm. Syst. Poly garni a 



Identification. -Rafin. Journ. Phys., 1819, p. 96 ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 17. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 13. 



Synonyme. Ilicioldes Dum. Cows. 1. vol. 4. p. 27. 



Derivation. From nemos, a grove, and anthos, a flower ; it being generally found in groves. 



Gen. Char. Calyx small, scarcely conspicuous. Petals 5, distinct, oblong, 

 linear, deciduous. Stamens 5, alternating with the petals. Ovary hemi- 

 spherical, covered with clammy juice. Style wanting. Stigmas 3 *, ses- 

 sile ; in the male flowers hardly manifest. Berry globose, 3 4- celled. 

 (Don's Mill.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, exstipulate, deciduous ; quite entire. One 

 hardy species. 



