THE VINES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 191 



much more luxuriant as we go south. Its graceful 

 evergreen leaves, the profusion of its large, bright 3"el- 

 low and deliciously fragrant blossoms, render this vine 

 the pride of our forest. The odor of the flowers in a 

 close room sometimes induces headache. Most of the 

 plant, especially the root, taken internally, is narcotic 

 and poisonous. A tincture of the root, judiciously 

 administered^ is useful in rheumatic affections ; but 

 in the hands of quacks death has been caused by it. 



(Forsteronia difformis, A. DC.) — A smooth twin- 

 ing plant, 6 to 12 feet long, found chiefly in the 

 Lower District, but extending into the interior as 

 far at least as Wake County. It is sometimes mis- 

 taken for the Yelloiv Jessamine^ but the flowers are 

 tubular and smaller, more like those of a Wood- 

 bine, about 1-3 inch long, and greenish-yellow. The 

 fruit is a slender pod, containing seeds that have a 

 tuft of down. 



The next GROur of three genera have their seeds 

 in small dry capsules. 



WAx-^^^ORK. Bittersweet. (Celastrus scandens, 

 Linn.) — Tliis is to me the rarest plant in the State, 

 as I have seen but a single stock, near Liucolnton. 

 This is its most southern known limit. It ascends 

 trees to the height of 12 or 15 feet. The leaves are 

 about 3 inches /ong, taper pointed, smooth, toothed. 

 The berry -like capsule is orange-red, clustered on the 

 ends of its short branches, of the size of a large pea, 

 bursting when mature and disclosing 3 to 6 scarlet 

 seeds. In this state it is quite an ornamental vine. 



