Voi,. II.] 



RUE FAMILY. 



353 



on the somewhat elongated receptacle. Fruit (in our species) a capsule, or 

 samara. Seeds oblong or reniform; embryo straight or curved; endosperm 

 generally fleshy, sometimes none; cotyledons thick or foliaceous. 



About 1 10 genera and 880 species, most abundant in South Africa and Australia. 



Pistils 3-5, distinct; fruit fleshy, capsular. i. Xanthoxylum* 



Pistil i, 2-celled; fruit a samara. 2. Ptelea. 



i. XANTHOXYLUM L. Sp. PI. 270. 1753. 



Trees or shrubs with alternate odd-pinnate leaves, the twigs and petioles commonly 

 prickly. Flowers axillary or terminal, cymose, whitish or greenish, mostly small. Sepals 

 4 or 5, or none. Petals 4 or 5, imbricated. Staminate flowers with 4 or 5 hypogynous stamens. 

 Pistillate flowers with 2-5 distinct pistils, rarely with some stamens. Carpels 2-ovuled. Pods 

 fleshy, 2-valved, i-2-seeded. Seeds'oblong, black and shining. [Greek, yellow-wood.] 



About no species, natives of temperate and tropical regions. In addition to the following 2 

 others occur in the Southern States. 



Flowers in small sessile axillary cymes; calyx none. i. X. Americanum. 



Flowers in large terminal compound cymes; calyx present. 2. X. Clava-Herculis. 



i. Xanthoxylum Americanum Mill. Prickly Ash. Toothache-tree. (Fig.2269.) 



Xantho.rvlnm Americanum Mill. Card 



Diet. Ed. 8, no. 2. 1768. 



A shrub, or small tree, reaching a maxi- 

 mum height of about 25, and a trunk 

 diameter of 6'. Leaves alternate, odd- 

 pinnate, pubescent when young, becom- 

 ing glabrous or nearly so when old; leaf- 

 lets 5-11, ovate, opposite, dark green 

 above, lighter beneath, nearly sessile, 

 i^ / -2 / long, crenulate or entire, acutish; 

 flowers greenish, about i - J^ // broad, in ses- 

 sile axillary cymes, borne on the wood of 

 the previous season and appearing before 

 the leaves; pedicels slender; calyx none; 

 petals 4 or 5; pistils 2-5; capsules black, 

 ellipsoid, about 2" long, on short stipes, 

 i-2-seeded. 



In woods and thickets, Quebec to Virginia, 

 especially along the mountains, west to west- 

 ern Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska and Mis- 

 souri. Wood soft, light brown; weight per 

 cubic foot 35 Ibs. April-May. 



2. Xanthoxylum Clava-Herculis 

 L. Southern Prickly Ash. Sea 

 Ash. Pepper-wood. (Fig. 2270.) 



X. Clava-Herculis L. Sp. PI. 270. 1753. 

 X. Carolinianum Lam. Encycl. 2: 39. 1786. 

 A small, very prickly tree, with a maxi- 

 mum height of 45 and trunk diameter of 

 9 ', the prickles supported on cushions of 

 cork sometimes 8' broad. Leaves alter- 

 nate, odd-pinnate, glabrous, shining 

 above, dull beneath; leaflets 5-17, ob- 

 liquely ovate, nearly sessile, !%'-$' long, 

 acute, crenulate; flowers greenish-white, 

 in large terminal cymes, appearing before 

 the leaves; sepals 4 or 5 ; petals 4 or 5 ; pis- 

 tils 2 or 3; capsules about 2" long, sessile. 



Along streams, coast of southern Virginia 

 to Florida, west to Texas and Arkansas. 

 Wood light brown; weight per cubic foot 

 31 Ibs. June. 



