A Kc\ to Common Nebraska Shrubs 41 



AA. Leaves compound. 



1. Stems climbing or twining (vines), 

 a. Without prickles. 



b. With tendrils. 



c. Leaflets 5-7, all branching from end of leaf- 

 stalk (palmate), 5-15 cm. long, toothed; 

 fruit a blue 2-3 seeded berry, about 1.2 cm. 



in diameter, with red stems 



(Parthenocissus) Virginia creeper 



2. Stems erect. 



a. With prickles. 



b. Leaflets toothed or notched. 



c. Flowers large, red, pink, or white; leaflets 

 5-11, fruit a hard many-seeded berry (like 

 a tiny apple) with shriveled remnant of 



flowers at tip (Rosa) Wild rose 



cc. Flowers small, purple, pink, or white ; leaflets 

 3-7, fruit a black or red aggregate (dense 

 cluster) of tiny berries, 

 d. Fruit falling away from its dry base....'. 



(Rubus) Raspberry 



dd. Fruit remaining attached to its fleshy base. 



(Rubus) Blackberry 



bb. Leaflets with entire or wavy margins. 



c. Flowers small, greenish, about 3 mm. broad, 

 appearing before the leaves; leaflets 5-11, 

 3-5 cm. long; fruit a black, 2-valved, short- 

 tipped pod, about 4 mm. long 



(Xantho.vylum) Prickly ash 



aa. Without prickles. 



b. Leaflets toothed or notched. 



c. Leaflets 3, finely toothed, 4-7 cm. long; flow- 

 ers, white, about 8 mm. long, in clusters ; 

 fruit a bladder-like capsule about 5 cm. long, 

 much inflated, 2-3 lobed. (Staphylea) Bladder nut 



cc. Leaflets 5-11 (usually 7), finely toothed, 5-13 

 cm. long ; flowers white, about 3 mm. broad ; 

 fruit berry-like, containing 3-5 1-seeded nut- 

 lets ; stems with large white pith 



(Sambucits) Elder berry 



