1094 



ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 



Gen. Char. Perianth 6-parted. Stamens 6. Styles 3. Beiry 3-celled ; cells 

 2-seeded. {G. Don.) 



Leaves as in the Order. Floivers corj'mbose, axillary. Shrubs, climbing 



by means of their tendrils, with stems that are generally prickly. Leaves 



with veiny disks. The tendrils are intrapetiolar stipules. 



In British gardens, they grow in sandy loam, and are readily propagated by 



division of the root. They are not showy, but they are interesting from their 



cUmbing character, as being generally evergreen, and as being some of the few 



hardy ligneous plants which belong to the grand division of vegetables Mono- 



cotyledoneae. 



i. Stems prickly and angular. 

 &- \. S. a'spera L. The rough Smilax. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 1458. ; Vill. Dauph., 3. p. 272. ; Mart. Mill., No. 1. 

 Synony7nes. Koiigh Bindweed ; Rogo acerbone, Ital. 

 Engravings. Schk. Han., 3. 328. ; and owvfig. 2042. 



Spec. Char., ^-c. Stem prickly, angular; leaves toothed and prickly, cordate, 

 9-nerved. (Willd.) A climbing evergreen. South of Europe, Asia Minor, 

 and Africa, Height 3 ft. to 1 ft. Introduced in 1648. Flowers whitish ; 

 July. Berries red ; ripe in September. 



Varieties. 



i- S. a. 2 auriculdta Ait. Leaves ear-shaped at the base, 

 fl- S. a. 3 mauritdnica. S. mauritanica Poir. Introduced in 1820, and 

 there are plants in the Horticultural Society's 

 Garden, and in some private collections. 



The roots are thick and fleshy, spreading wide, and 

 striking deep ; and they are sometimes sold by the 

 druggists of the South of Europe for those of 5. Sarsa- 

 parilla, as they possess nearly the same qualities, but in 



an 



inferior degree ; they are also In 



and more 

 porous. In British gardens, this species, which is per- 

 haps the handsomest of those which are hardy, is com- 

 monly trained against a wail ; but it will also attach itself 

 to rough stakes or trelliswork, though it seldom flowers 

 when so treated. 



ft- 2. S. exce'lsa L. The tall Smilax 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 1458. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., 5. 



p. 387. 

 Synonymes. S. orientalis, &c., Tourn. Cor. ih., Bux. Cent. 1. 



18. ; S. aspe-a Alp. Mgypt. ed. 2. 140. 

 Engravings. Bux. Cent., 1. t. 27. ; Alp. iEgypt., ed. 2., 1. 141. ; 



and our fig. 2043. 



Spec. Char.y^-c. Stem prickly, angular. Leaves' 

 unarmed, cordate, 9-nerved. {Willd.) A chmb- 

 ing evergreen shrub. Syria. Height 6 ft. to 

 12 ft. Introduced in 1739. Flowers greenish 

 white ; August and September. Berries red or 

 black ; ripe in November. 



Stems 4-cornered, and prickly ; mounting to 

 the tops of tall trees, by means of their clasping 



2042. S. aspera. 



l*m. 



broad 

 but 



at 



.g,.,.>^.v.,... nerves, but no 

 The roots resemble and 



tendrils. Leaves 2 in. long, and 



the base, having 5 longitudinal 



spines on their margins. 



possess the same qualities as those of S. aspera, 



but are inferior to those of S. Sarsaparilla. 



fl. 3. iS. Ru^BENS Wats. The reA-tendriled Smilax 



Identification. Watson Dend. Brit.,t. 108. 

 Engravings. Dend. Brit., t. 108. ; and our fig. 2014. 



20J3. S. excelsa. 



Spec. Char., i^c. Stem 



angular. 



prickly. Leaves ovate-subcordate, rather 



