THE FLORA. 223 



Order LXIY. ARALIACEiE. Araliads. 



Plants much like the Uinbelworts in their Ivs., fls., and inflorescence; 



pistils 2-5, united below into 1 ovary with 2-5 cells; 



fruit a capsule or berry, with 2-5 seeds. Petals not inflected. 



Analysis of tlie Genera. 



* Stjiee 5. Umbel? many. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound. Aralia. 1 



* Styles 2 Of 3. Umbel 1. Leaves whorled, palmately compound. Ginseng. 2 



* Style 1. Climbing vine. Leaves simple, alternate. JEtiropean Ivy. Hedera. 



1. ARA'LIA. Wild Sarsaparilla. 



Calyx superior, 5-tootlied. Petals 5, ovate, spreading. Stamens 5 on 

 the ovary with the 5 styles. Fruit a beny. Herbs or shrubs with alter- 

 nate pinnately compound leaves. Umbels white or greenish. Summer. 



* Plants low (l-2f.), with few (3-7) umbels corymbously arranged Nos. 1, 2 



* Plants taller (3-12f.), with numerous umbels in racemes. . . .Nos. 3, 4 



1 A. nudicau'lis. Stem underground, sending up 1 long-stalked leaf and a scape a foot 



high, bearing 8 umbels. Plant smooth. 71 Rocky woods. E. and W. 



2 A. his'pida. Wild Elder. Stem shrubby and prickly at base, herbaceous above. Leaf- 



lets ovate, cut-serrate. Umbels about 3. Berries blue-black. Fields. 



3 A. racemo'sa. Fettymorrel. Herbaceous, smooth, branched, 3-5f. Leaves large, 



decompound ; leaflets ovate, serrate. Umbels small, very many, in a panicle 

 of racemes. Root highly aromatic. Woods. 



4 A. spino'sa. Angelica Tree. Hercules' Club. Shrub or tree prickly, stem simple, 



bearing all the leaves and panicles at the top. Leaves bi- or tripinnate. 



2. GINSENG. Ginseng. 



Dioecious and polygamous. Calyx-tube adherent, limb obsolete. 

 Petals 5, ovate, obtuse. Stamens 5. Styles 2 or 3, erect (none in the 5 

 flowers). Fruit berr3'-like, 2 or 3-seeded. 11 Root tuberous. Stem 

 simple, bearing 3 leaves in a whorl, and 1 umbel. Fls. white. 



1 Gr. trifo'lium. Ground-nut. Root a round tuber deep in the ground, connected with 



the stem by a short screw-like ligament. The stem arises 3-6' above the surface, 

 smooth, slender, simple At the top is a whorl of 3 compound leaves, and a cen- 

 tral peduncle bearing a little umbel of pure white flowers. Leaflets generally 3. 

 Barren and fertile flowers on separate plants, the latter with 3 .'•tyles and stamens, 

 the former with but one style. Damp woods. May. 



2 Gr, quinquifo'lium. True Ginseng. Root fusiform, fleshy. Stem round, smootli. If. 



high, with a terminal whorl of 3 compound leaves and a central stalk bearing a 

 simple umbel of yellowish-white flowers. The fertile flowers have 2 stj'les, and 

 are usually separated from the barren, on difterent plants. Berries bright scarlet. 

 Li rocky or Lilly woods. June-August. 



