RHAMNACEAE (BUCKTHORN FAMILY) 149 



A. Posterior sepal spurred ; corolla often spotted. 



B. Spurred sepals slightly longer than wide ; sac at least f as wide as long, abruptly 

 contracted into a spur; corolla with large spots, or rarely unspotted. E. 



I. biflora (SPOTTED TOUCH-ME-NOT) 



BB. Spurred sepal much longer than wide; sac not over ^ as wide as long, gradually 

 tapering into a spur; corolla unspotted. W. C. 



I. nolitangere (GARDEN TOUCH-ME-NOT) 



AA. Posterior sepal unspurred, wider than long; corolla pale yellow, unspotted. E. 



I. ecalcarata (SPURLESS TOUCH-ME-NOT) 



RHAMNACEAE (BUCKTHORN FAMILY) 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves simple, alternate or opposite; stipules 

 minute. Flowers small, perfect or imperfect. Calyx 4~5-cleft. 

 Petals none or distinct, each wrapped around a stamen, on the 

 calyx throat. Stamens as many as calyx lobes, alternate with 

 them. Ovary superior or partly inferior; styles more or less united 

 into i,' stigmas 24. Fruit either fleshy, or dry and the 2-4 carpels 

 at length separating. 



A. Calyx lobes erect or spreading; fruit berrylike. RHAMNUS (p. 149) 



AA. Calyx lobes connivent; fruit dry or nearly so. CEANOTHUS (p. 149) 



RHAMNUS (BUCKTHORN) 



Leaves alternate, pinnately veined, deciduous. Flowers in* axillary 

 clusters. Calyx tube urn-shaped. Petals 4-5 or none. Fruit berrylike, 

 oblong or globose, 2 4-seeded. (Gk. rhamnos = the name of these plants.) 



A. Leaves acute at each end; petals none; seed grooved on the back; plants 1.2 m. 



or less high. E. R. alnifolia 



AA. Leaves acute at one end or at neither; petals 5, small; seed not grooved on the back. 



B. Plant 5 m. or less high; leaves somewhat revolute at margin; carpels 3. E. 



R. calif or nica 



BB. Plants 15 m. or less high; leaves not revolute at margin; carpels 2. W. C. E. 

 Bark much used in medicine. R. purshiana (CASCARA) 



CEANOTHUS (REDROOT) 



Leaves pinnately veined or with several chief veins from the base. Flowers 

 in lateral and terminal clusters. Calyx 5 -cleft; lobes deciduous; tube 

 persistent, turbinate or hemispheric. Petals 5, longer than the calyx. 

 Styles 3. Fruit subglobose, 3-lobed, the 3-crustaceous carpels ultimately 

 separating. (Gk. keanothos = the name of a kind of thistle ; probably 

 transferred on account of the spiny branches of some.) 



A. All of the leaves alternate, with 3 chief veins from the base, glandular-toothed or 



entire; fruit not crested. 

 B. Flowers in thyrses; leaves often longer than 30 mm.; branches not strikingly 



rigid, not spiny. 



C. Leaves evergreen, shining above as if varnished, sticky above, with strong 

 cinnamon odor; flowers white. W. C. E. C. velutinus (MOUNTAIN BALM) 



