210 HONFA'SUCKLE FAMILY. 



V. ntidum, Linn. Much like the last, but leaves more veiny and 

 shilling above, less scurfy, the peduncle generally as long as the cyme ; 

 flowers later. N. J., S. 



= = Cyme sessile, small. 



v. obovitum, Walt. In swamps, Va. and S., growing 8° high ; leaves 

 small, obovate, or spatulate, obtuse, entire or denticulate and thickish. 



.1- t- Leaves coarsely toothed, strongly feather-veined ; the veins promi- 

 nently marked, straight and simple, or nearly so; fruit small; cyme 

 peduncled. ^ Leaves slender-petioled ; stone sulcate. 



V. dentatum, Linn. Arrowwood (the stems having been used by 

 the Indians to make arrows). Common in wet soil ; 5°-10° high ; smooth, 

 with ash-colored bark, pale and broadly ovate, evenly sharp-toothed 

 leaves on slender petioles, and bright blue fruit. 



V. m611e, Michx. Soft-downy, with less sharply toothed oval or 

 obovate leaves, and blue oily fruit. N. Eng. to Tex. 



-M- ++ Leaves nearly sessile ; stone flat. 



V. pub^scens, Fursh. A low and straggling shrub, with ovate or 

 oblong and acute or taper-pointed leaves, having rather few coarse 

 teeth,'^their lower surface and the very short petioles soft-downy ; fruit 

 dark purple. Canada to Ga. and W. 



4_ ^_ M_ Leaves both coarsely toothed and somewhat ?>-lohed, roundish, 3- 

 b-rihhed from the base and veiny ; cymes slender-peduncled, small. 



V. acerif6lium, Linn. Maple-i.eaved A. or Dockmackie. Shrub 

 3o_60 iii<rh, in rocky woods, with 3- ribbed and 3-lobed leaves soft-downy 

 beneath,^their pointed lobes diverging ; stamens slender ; fruit black. 



V. paucifldrum, I'ylaie. Almost smooth leaves 5-ribbed at base and • 

 .3-lobed at summit ; cyme few-flowered ; stamens shorter than corolla ; 

 fruit sour, red. Cold woods, far N. • 



* * Flowers round the margin of the cyme neutral (without .'Stamens 

 or pLstils) and very much larger than the fertile ones, Hydrangea-like 

 and showy (in cultivation, all becoming neutral) ; petioles bearing evi- 

 dent appendages which imitate stipules. 



^- Leaves 'i-lobed. 



V. Opulus, Linn. Cranberry Tree. Tall and nearly smooth shrub, 

 with gray bark, scaly buds, 3-5-ribbed leaves, the lobes pointed and com- 

 monly few-toothed ; cymes peduncled. The wild form in low grounds N. 

 and E. : the juicy acid fruit bright red, used as a substitute for cran- 

 berries' (whence the name of High Bush Cranberry). The cultivated 

 form from Eu., planted for ornament, under the name of Gielder-uose 

 or Snowball Tree, has all the flowers changed into enlarged corollas. 

 .^ H- Leaves not lobed. 



V. lantanoides, Michx. Hobblebush (popular name from the 

 strago-ling or reclining branches taking root at the end, and forming 

 loops). Cold moist woods N., with naked buds ; large round-ovate leaves, 

 heart-shaped at base and abruptly pointed at the apex, closely serrate, 

 and piiinately many-veined ; the veins and netted veinlets prominent under- 

 neath and covered, like the stalks andbranchlets, with rusty scurf ; cymes 

 showy, very broad, sessile ; fruit not edible, coral-red turning crimson. 



V. tomentdsum, 'I'hunb. (V. plicXtuji). Japanese Snowball. Shrub 

 of medium size, with broad-ovate or obovate, plicate, shallow-toothed 

 leaves ; axillary dense heads of sterile flowers whiter and more delicate 

 than those of the Common Snowball. Ciiina and Japan. 



