396 



CELASTRACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



i. Celastrus scandens L. Shrubby 

 or Climbing Bittersweet. Wax- 

 work. Staff-tree. (Fig. 2370.) 



Celastrus scandens L,. Sp. PI. 196. 1753. 



A twining woody vine, ascending trees to a 

 height of 25 or more, or trailing on the ground 

 where it lacks support. Leaves alternate, 

 somewhat 2-ranked by the twisting of the 

 stem, ovate, oval or obovate, 2 / -4 / long, i / -2 / 

 wide, glabrous on both sides, acuminate or 

 acute at the apex, acute or rounded at the base, 

 crenulate; petioles 6"-g" long; flowers green- 

 ish, about "2" broad, in terminal compound 

 racemes 2 / -4 / in length; petals crenate, much 

 longer than the calyx-lobes; capsule yellow, 

 or orange, 5 // -6 // in diameter, opening in 

 autumn and exposing the showy red aril. 



In rich soil, Quebec to North Carolina, especi- 

 ally along the mountains, west to Manitoba, K ,m 

 sas, the Indian Territory and New Mexico. 

 Foliage sometimes variegated. June. Called also Staff-vine, Fever-twig, and False Bitter-sweet. 



Family 66. STAPHYLEACEAE DC. Prodr. 2: 2. 1825. 



BLADDER-NUT FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs, with mostly opposite odd-pinnate or 3-foliolate stipulate 

 leaves, and regular perfect flowers in terminal or axillary clusters. Sepals, 

 petals and stamens usually 5. Carpels mostly 3. Disk large, the stamens in- 

 serted at its base without. Anthers introrse, 2-celled. Fruit a dehiscent blad- 

 dery capsule in the following genus, indehiscent in some others. Seeds solitary 

 or few in each carpel; testa hard; endosperm fleshy; embryo straight. 

 About 5 genera, and 22 species, widely distributed. 



i. STAPHYLEA L. Sp. PI. 270. 1753. 



Shrubs, with opposite 3-foliolate or pinnate leaves, and axillary drooping racemes or 

 panicles of white flowers. Pedicels jointed. Sepals imbricated. Petals the same number as 

 the sepals and about equalling them. Ovary 2-3-parted, the lobes i-celled; ovules numerous 

 in each cavity, anatropous. Capsule 2-3-lobed, 2-3-celled. Seeds globose. [Greek, cluster.] 



About 6 species, of the north temperate zone. S. Bolanderi A. Gray, occurs in California. 



i. Staphylea trifdlia L. American 

 Bladder-nut. (Fig. 2371.) 



Staphylea trifolia I v . Sp. PI. 270. 1753. 



A branching shrub, 6-i5 high, with smooth 

 striped bark. Young leaves and petioles pubes- 

 cent; mature foliage glabrate ; leaves 3-foliolate 

 (rarely 4-foliolate) ; stipules linear, 4"-6".long, 

 caducous; leaflets ovate or oval, i%'-2%' long, 

 acuminate at the apex, obtuse or somewhat cune- 

 ate at the base, finely and sharply serrate, the 

 lateral ones sessile or nearly so, the terminal one 

 stalked; stipels subulate; flowers campanulate, 

 racemed, about 4" long; pedicels bracted at the 

 base, slightly longer than the flowers; capsule 

 about 2' long, i' wide, much inflated, the 3 (rarely 

 4) carpels separate at the summit and dehiscent 

 along the inner side. 



In moist woods and thickets, Quebec and Ontario to 

 Minnesota, south to South Carolina and Missouri 

 April-May. 



Family 67. ACERACEAE St. Hil. Expos. Fam. 2: 15. 1805. 



MAPLE FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs, with watery often saccharine sap, opposite simple and 

 palmately lobed (rarely entire) or pinnate leaves, and axillary or terminal 

 cymose or racemose regular polygamous or dioecious flowers. Calyx generally 



