BUCKTHORN FAMILY. Rhamnaceas. 



BUCKTHORN FAMILY. Ehamnacece. 



Shrubs or small trees, often thorny, with simple, mostly 

 alternate leaves, and small regular, perfect or polyga- 

 mous flowers. There are 4-5 petals to the rather incon- 

 spicuous flowers, or, in some cases, none at all. The 

 fruit a berry, or a capsule. Visited by bees and flies. 



A shrub commonly cultivated for feedges 

 Buckthorn as its twi g s are often armed with formida- 

 Ehamnus ble thorns. A native of Europe and Asia, 



catJiartica and an escape from cultivation in this coun- 

 Whitish green t particularly in New England and New 

 May-June / , , . , 



York. The smooth deep green leaves are 



ovate and finely toothed ; they grow alternately. The 

 flowers are clustered at the angles of the leaves, and are 

 an inconspicuous white-green : they are staminate and 

 pistillate on different plants, and scarcely measure a tenth 

 of an inch across. The flower is succeeded by a black 

 berry the juice of which is powerfully medicinal. 6-16 

 feet high. In dry soil along roadsides and near dwell- 

 ings, from Me. , west to N. Y. 



A native species with thornless branches, 

 leaves similar to those of the foreign spe- 

 cies, and greenish flowers without petals, 

 staminate and pistillate on different plants. There are 

 five stamens and calyx lobes. In swamps, from Me. to 

 N. J., Pa., Neb., and in Cal. 



A shrubby species with a coarse, woody 

 TeT JerSCy brown-green or bronzy stem , and dull green 

 Ceanothus ovate-pointed leaves, sharply but finely 

 Americanus toothed, very fine-hairy, and conspicu- 

 Cream white ous ly three-ribbed ; the stems short, and 

 May-July ru ddy. The tiny cream white flowers are 



set in small blunt cone-shaped clusters on long stems 

 from the leaf angles. There are five slender petals and as j 

 many stamens. The rather pretty plumy flower-cluster 

 is lightly odorous. In Revolutionary times the American 

 soldiers brewed an indifferent-flavored tea from the dried 

 leaves. Stems 1-4 feet high ; root reddish. In dry open 

 woodlands, from Me. , south, and west to Minn, and Mo, 



258 



