XXXI. 



RHAMNUS CATHARTICUS. 

 Common Buckthorn. 



Class V. Pentandria. — Order I. Monogynia. 



Nat. Ord. Rhamne.e. 



Gen. Char. C«/y.rurceolate, four to five cleft. Petals four 

 to five, or wanting. Stamens opposite the petals. Ger- 

 men superior, three or four celled. Berry two to four 

 celled, two to four seeded. 



Spec. Char. Spines tenninal. Flowers four-cleft, dioe- 

 cious. Leaves ovate, sharply seiTated. Berry with 

 four seeds. 



SYNONYMES. 



Greek. fa.ft.ti>;. Dioscorides. 



r Rhamnus catharticus. Bauh. Pin. 478. Rati Syn. 466. 



, . \ Rhamnus solutivus. Ger. Em. )337. 



Latin •< ^ . . 



i Spina infectona. Matth. 158. 



'^ Rhamnus catharticus. Lin. Sp. PI. 279. 



French. . .. Nerprun ; Noirprun ; Bourg-epine. 



Italian .... Spino cervino ; Spinamagna. 



Spanish . . . Espina de ciervo ; Cambron ; Ramno catartico. 



Portuguese.. Escambroeiro ; Espenheiro cambra. 



German ... Gemeine Kreuzdorn ; Kreusbeeren-strauch ; Wegdom. 



Dutch ^^'egedoo^n ; Rhynbezien-doorn. 



Swedish .... Gettapel ; Saftgroent. 



Danish.... Korsboer; Vrietorn. 



Polish Szaklak Krzewina. 



Russia7i Schest. 



Description. — This shrub rises to the height of eight or ten 

 feet, with a strong upright stem, much branched and spreading, 

 the branches terminating in a sharp spine after the first year ; the 



