2l6 



RUBIACEAE. 



[Vol.. III. 



3. CEPHALANTHUS L. Sp. PI. 95. 1753- 

 Shrubs, or some tropical species small trees, with opposite or verticillate short-petioled 

 entire leaves, and terminal or axillary, densely capitate, bracteolate small white or yellow 

 flowers. Calyx- tube obpyramidal, its limb with 4 obtuse lobes. Corolla tubular-funnelform, 

 with 4 short erect or spreading lobes. Stamens 4, inserted on the throat of the corolla, fila- 

 ments very short; anthers oblong, 2-cuspidate at the base. Ovary 2-celled; ovules solitary 

 in each cavity, pendulous; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate. Fruit dry, obpyrami- 

 dal, 1-2-seeded. Endosperm cartilaginous; cotyledons linear-oblong. [Greek, head-flower. ] 

 About 6 species, natives of America and Asia. The following is the only one known to occur 

 in North America, unless the southwestern and Mexican plant proves to be distinct. 



i. Cephalanthus occidentalis L. 

 Button-bush. Button- tree. Honey- 

 balls. Globe-flower. (Fig. 3403.) 

 Cephalanthus occidentalis L,. Sp. PI. 95. 1753- 

 A shrub 3-i2 high, with opposite or verti- 

 cillate leaves and branches, glabrous, or 

 somewhat pubescent. Leaves petioled, ovate 

 or oval, entire, acuminate or acute at the 

 apex, rounded or narrowed at the base, 3 / -6 / 



long, x'-zYz' wide; peduncles i / -3 / long; 

 heads globose, about i' in diameter, the re- 

 ceptacle pubescent; flowers sessile, white, 

 4 // -6 // long; style very slender, about twice 

 the length of the corolla; calyx-tube pro- 

 longed beyond the ovary. 



In swamps, and low grounds, New Brunswick to 

 western Ontario and California, south to Florida, 

 Texas and Arizona. Also in Cuba. Also called 

 Pond Dogwood, Buttonwood Shrub. June-Sept. 



4. MITCHELLA!,. Sp. PL in. 1753. 



Creeping herbs, with opposite petioled, entire or undulate, evergreen leaves, and white 

 axillary or terminal peduncled geminate dimorphous flowers, their ovaries united. Calyx- 

 tube ovoid, the limb 3-6-lobed (usually 4-lobed). Corolla funnelform, usually 4-lobed, the 

 lobes recurved, bearded on the inner side. Stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla and 

 inserted on its throat; filaments short and style exserted, or filaments exserted and style short. 

 Ovary 4-celled; stigmas 4, short, filiform; ovules 1 in each cavity, erect, anatropous. Fruit 

 composed of 2 united drupes usually containing 8 roundish nutlets. Seed erect; cotyledons 

 short, obtuse; embryo minute. [Named after Dr. John Mitchell, botanist and correspondent 

 of Linnaeus in Virginia.] 



Two species, one North American, the other Japanese. 



i. Mitchella repens L,. 



Partridge-berry. Twin-berry. (Fig. 3404.) 

 Mitchella repens I,. Sp. PI. 11 1. 1753. 



Stems slender, trailing, rooting at the 

 nodes, 6 / -i2 / long, branching, glabrous, or 

 very slightly pubescent. Leaves ovate-or- 

 bicular, petioled, obtuse at the apex, 

 rounded or somewhat cordate at the base, 

 3 // -io // long, pinnately veined, dark 

 green, shining; peduncles shorter than 

 the leaves, bearing 2 sessile white flowers 

 at the summit; corolla 5 // -6 // long; drupes 

 red (rarely white), broader than high, 2"- 

 4" in diameter, persistent through the 

 winter, edible. 



In woods, Nova Scotia to Florida, west to 

 western Ontario, Minnesota, Arkansas and 

 Texas. April-June, sometimes flowering 

 a second time in the autumn. Called 

 also Hive- or Squaw-vine, Checker-berry, 

 Deer-berry, Fox- or Box-berry, Partridge- 

 vine and Winter Clover. Leaves often whit- 

 ish-veined; flower-buds pink. Ascends 50ck> 

 ft. in Virginia. 



