USING THE KEYS. g 



Under some shrubbery, I see very often a trailing little 

 evergreen with lanceolate or elliptical entire simple leaves, two 

 at a node (opposite) ; and its single large blue flowers attract 

 attention early in the spring. The Synopsis of Groups refers 

 me to Key C (p. 34) where, by the successive steps I to 15, 15 

 to 38, 38 to 39, 39 to 40, 40 to 42, 42 to 49, 49 to 50, 50 to 51, 

 I reach the conclusion that it is a Vinca. Reference to the ac- 

 count of this genus (p. 165) shows that it is the periwinkle or 

 running "myrtle," Vinca minor. 



Of late years a gigantic twiner, woody only at base, has come 

 into extensive use. Its alternate compound leaves with three 

 large lobed leaflets enable me to trace it through Key D (p. 38), 

 by the steps i to 7, 7 to 10, 10 to n, n to 23, 23 to 26, and 26 to 

 27, where I see that it is a Pueraria, and reference to p. HI 

 shows that it is the Kudzu vine, P. hirsuta. 



Finally, to take a more complicated case, I gather a shoot 

 of a very slender and graceful deciduous shrub under my win- 

 dow and note that it has alternate 5-ranked simple but some- 

 what lobed glabrous rather pointed leaves, with a single C- 

 shaped woody bundle showing when I snap the leaf-stalk off at 

 its base ; and the partly ripened fruits, earlier a mass of small 

 white flowers, 'clustered on short twigs, consist of several small 

 seed-like "akenes" in each persistent calyx. The Synopsis of 

 Groups refers me to Key B (p. 19) where I trace it from i to 

 335 33 to 6 1 ; 61 to 62; 62 to 63; 63 to 65; 65 to 66; 66 to 139; 

 139 to 141; 141 to 142; 142 to 143; 143 to 147; 147 to 148; 

 where I conclude that it is a Spiraea. In the key to species of 

 this genus (p. 89) I follow it from i to 8; 8 to 10; and 10 to II , 

 where I am satisfied that it is the now very popular betterment 

 of the "bridal wreath," X S. Vanhouttci. The Cyclopedia tells 

 me that this is a hybrid of its fore-runner, 5*. trilobata, with 

 5". cantomensis, and incidentally I learn something of the num- 

 ber of species of this attractive genus that the larger collections 

 may include, and of their scientific classification. 



