XXXVI. 



RUSCUS ACULEATUS. 



Common Butcher'' s- Broom . 



Class XXII. DiCECi A.— Order III. Triandrta. 



Nat. Ord. Smilace^e. 



Gen. Char. Male flowers : Perianth of six leaves. 

 Filaments combined at the base ; anthers three to six. 

 Female flowers : Perianth of six leaves. Nectary 

 tubular. Style oue ; stigma simple. Berry superior, 

 three-celled ; cells two-seeded. 



Spec. Char. Stem branched, rigid. Leaves ovate, sharp- 

 pointed, bearing the solitary flower on the upper sur- 

 face. 



SYNONYMES. 



Greek fjcu^irivt) ay^ia,. Dioscorides. 



y-Ruscus. Bauh. Pin. 470. Rati Syn. 262. 



\ Ruscus, sive Bruscus. Ger. Em. 907. 

 "*'* i Myrtacantha. Lob. ic. I. 637. 



C Ruscus aculeatus. Lin. Sp. PL 1474. 

 French .... Houx frelon ; Fragon piquant ; Petit Houx. 

 Italian ... Rusco. 



Spanish Brusco. 



German. Stechlicher Mansdorn ; Mausdornbusch ; Myrtendorn. 



Dutch Muisdoorn. 



Bohemian... Lesnj myrtus. 



Danish .... Musetorn. 



Russ Menschoi myscheitern. 



Description. — The root is perennial, thick, twining, and 

 sends out fibres like that of asparagus : the plant itself is bien- 

 nial, and, for one winter, evergreen. The stems are cylindrical, 

 furrowed, smooth, flexible, dark green, rising from a foot to 

 eighteen inches in height;, and die down to the root after the 



