MENISPERMACEAE. 



[Vou II. 



i. Cebatha Carolina (I,. ) Britton. Caro- 

 lina Moonseed. (Fig. 1648.) 



Menisbermum Carolinum L,. Sp. PI. 340. 1753. 

 COCCHIUS Carolinus DC. Syst. Veg. i: 524. 1818. 

 Cebatha Carolina Britton, Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 162. 

 1894. 



A slender vine, trailing, or climbing to the height 

 of several feet, the stem glabrous or pubescent. 

 Leaves broadly ovate, 2/-4' long, cordate or rounded 

 at the base, entire or lobed, acute or obtuse, sometimes 

 densely pubescent beneath, mainly glabrous above; 

 petioles slender, i'-4' long; panicles axillary and 

 terminal, loose, I'-s' long; flowers about i" broad; 

 drupe red, laterally flattened, 2 // -3 // in diameter, 

 the stone curved into a closed spiral, crested on the 

 sides and back. 



Alonjf streams, Virginia to Illinois and Kansas, south 

 to Florida and Texas. June -Aug. 



3. MENISPERMUM L. Sp. PI. 340. 1753. 



High climbing vines, with small dioecious panicled flowers. Sepals 4-8, arranged in 2 

 series, longer than the 6-8 petals. Stamens 12-24. Anthers 4-celled. Pistils 2-4, inserted 

 on a slightly elevated receptacle and generally accompanied by 6 sterile filaments. Dmpe 

 nearly globular, or ovoid, laterally flattened, the stone curved into a spiral and crested on the 

 sides and back. [Greek, moonseed.] 



A genus of 2 species, one native of eastern North America, the other of eastern Asia. 



i. Menispermum Canadense I,. 

 Canada Moonseed. (Fig. 1649.) 



Menisf>ft tnnm Canadense L. Sp. PI. 340. 1753. 

 Stem climbing over bushes or walls, 6-i2 

 in length, slender, slightly pubescent, or gla- 

 brous. Leaves slender-petioled, very broadly 

 ovate, 4 / -8 / wide, cordate or sometimes 

 nearly truncate at base, acuminate, acute or 

 obtuse, entire or with 3-7 lobes, pale beneath, 

 peltate near the base, although the petiole is 

 sometimes inserted so near the margin that 

 this character is not apparent; flowers green- 

 ish-white, 2" wide; panicles loose, bracteo- 

 late; drupe globose-oblong, 3 // -4 // in diam- 

 eter, the stone spirally curved. 



In woods along streams, western Quebec to 

 Manitoba, south to Georgia and Arkansas. 

 Ascends to 2600 ft. in Virginia. Bunches of fruit 

 bluish black, with the aspect of small grapes. 

 June-July. 



" ^ \JL 



Family 29. CALYCANTHACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2, 159. 1836. 



STRAWHKRRY-SHRUB FAMILY. 



Shrubs, with opposite entire short-petioled leaves, no stipules, and terminal 

 solitary large flowers on lateral leafy branches. Sepals and petals imbricated 

 in many series. Stamens co, the inner sterile, short, inserted on the receptacle; 

 anthers innate. Pistils oo , nearly enclosed in the hollow receptacle; ovules i or 

 2, anatropous. Fruit accessory, consisting of the enlarged ovoid oblong or 

 pyriform receptacle, to which the bases of petals, sepals and bracts are adnate, 

 enclosing few to many smooth shining achenes. Seed erect; cotyledons folia- 

 ceous, convolute. 



A family of 2 genera and about 5 species, natives of North America and eastern Asia. 



