OCTANDRIA. MONOGYNiA 47 



Fl. Middle of June. Fr. mat. Middle of November, 



Hab. Bottom laads: N. II- Sharples's; Erandyvvine : frequent. 20 to 10 feet high: flowers yollowish white- 



Obs- The ripe fruit is sweet and luscious, and rather af!:reeable to eat, after it has been subjected to the 

 action of frost; but remarkably harsh and astringent, while green, l^'or rm interesting account of the pro- 

 perties of the tree, and its fruit, see the Inaugural Thesis of the late Prottssor Woodhouse, of tlie Uiiivev- 

 sity of Pennsylvania. 



157. ACER. Nutt. Gen. GOG. 

 [A Latin name, signifying hard, or sharp; pikes and lances having been made of the wood.] 

 Polijgammis: Male, Cal- about 5 cleft, colored. Cor. petals 5, or 0. Stam. sometimes 5, or 6. 

 Hermaph. Cal. Cor. and Stam. as in the Male. Samara: mostly two, alated, united at base. 



A. RUBRUM. Mx- Arb. Leaves mostly 3 lobed, acute, serrate, glaucous beneath; flowers in umbels, erect- 



Vulgo — Red Maple. Swamp Maple. 



Fl. Beginning of April. Fj\ mat. Latter end of September 



Hab. Moist, low grounds: swampy woodlands: common. 30 to 60 feet high : flowers red, ci- yellowish. 



'<3bs. The variety, with ydlotvhh flowers, noticed by Marshall, is very frequent here. The wood b 

 much used by Chairmakers, Cabinetmakers? &c. 



A. sAccHAKiNUM. Mx. Arb- Leaves palmate-5 lobed, acuminate; flowers pedunculate, pendulous. 



Fu/go— Sugar Maple. 



Fl. Latter end of April. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



Hab. Rich woodlands: Jno. Taylor's, Brandywine : rare. SO to CO, or 70 feet high: flowers pale yellow. 



Obs- This handsome and valuable tree occurs pretty frequently along the Brandywine. from Jno. Tay- 

 lor's islands down to the fork of that stream; but is rare elsewhere. It is often transplanted about houses, 

 for tfee sake of its shade; but it does not exist in sufficient quantity here to induce the attempt to obtaia 

 Sugar from it. 



A. NEGUNDO. Mx. Arb. Dioicous: leaves ternate, or pinnate by 5's; flowers in pendulous racemes. 



Vulga — Ash-leaved Maple. Box Elder. 



Fl. Middle of April. Fr. mat. Last of September. 



Hab. Low grounds, along Brandywine, frequent. 15 to 30 feet high: flowers pale green. 



06s. This species is pretty abundant along Brandywine; but I have rarely seen it elsewhere. It is rather 

 a small, branching tree, here; and the leaves are frequently trifoliate. 



158. DIRCA. Nult. Gen. 367. 

 [Gr. Dirha, a fountain, or wet place; from its usual place of growth-] 



Cal. 0. CoR- tubular, border obsolete. Sfam- unequal) exserted- Sfy/e filiform. Berry 1 seeded- 

 D. pALUSTRis- Ell. Slender and branching; leaves alternate, oblong-oval; buds tomentose. 

 Vulgo — Leather-wood. 



Fl. Beginning of April. Fr. mat. 



Hub- Wet, low grounds: Brandywine: rare- 2 to 4 feet high: flowers greenish yellow. 



Obs. This little shrub has become very rare, here; but the late Dr- M. Marshall informed me he hai^ 

 found it growing along the Brandy wiae. It also grew, formerly, on the farms of Brinton Darlington, and 

 Jonathan Parke. 



ORDER, BSGYNIA. 



JS9. CHRYSOSPLENIUI^.I. Nutt. Gen. 369. 

 [Gr- Chrxjsos, gold, and .S^p/en, the spleen; figuratively, a golden remedy for the Spleen- Dc Thcis-} 

 Cal. i?uperior,4 or 5 cleft, colored. Cor. 0. Caps, birostrate, 1 celled, many seeded- 



C- opposiTiFOLiuM- Ell. Leavesopposite.subrotund, tapering to a petiole at base, slightly crenate- 



Vtil go— Golden Saxifrage. Water Carpet. 



Fl. Beginning of April, and after. Fr. mat. 



Hah. Shaded springs, and rivulets: Bath: frequent- 610 12 inches long: anthers orange-colored- 



Obs. This prostrate, succulent herb, is often gathered and used throuj^h mistake, as I have observed, in- 

 stead of Brooklime (Veronica beccahttnga.^ in rn:<-^ (.' CvnanrWo tracHpaH^.; b'!' I presum-; they-.are aboiit 

 fqurlhj pfticaciou*; aj me'JicinfK 



