65 



N. Ord. RHAMNACE^E. 

 Tribe Rliamnece. 



Genus Bhamnus, Linn. 



65. Rhamnus Frangula,* Linn., S P . Plant, ed. 1, p . 193 



(1753). 



Black Alder. Berry -bearing Alder. A^der Buckthorn. 



Syn. Frangula vulgaris, Reiclienbacli. 



Figures. Hayne, v, t. 44; Nees, t. 359; Berg & Sch., t. 19 f; Syme, E. 

 Bot., ii, t. 319; Sturm, Deutschl. Fl., heft 95, t. 3. 



Description. A slender, somewhat straggling bush about 6 12 

 feet in height, with a smooth purplish-grey bark with white 

 lenticels, branches never terminating in spines, extremities of 

 young branches, buds and petioles with a short fulvous down. 

 Leaves alternate with very small, triangular-linear, deciduous 

 stipules, rather long-stalked, blade 1J 2J inches long, oval or 

 slightly obovate-oval, rounded or abrupt at the base, usually 

 somewhat attenuated at the apex, quite entire, rather flaccid and 

 undulated, smooth, bright green, veins very sharp and prominent 

 beneath, the lateral ones, 7 10 on each side, slightly curved and 

 parallel. Flowers bisexual, very small, on slender drooping stalks 

 in small clusters of 2 5 in the axils of the leaves. Calyx with a 

 bell-shaped tube, puberulous outside, and 5 ovate-triangular 

 segments, pale-green, tinged with whitish-pink. Petals 5, inserted 

 above the calyx-tube, not so large as the calyx-segments with 

 which they alternate, margins involute. Stamens 5, inserted 

 opposite and immediately in front of the petals, by which they are 

 partially enfolded, filaments very short, anthers rounded. Ovary 

 enclosed in the calyx-tube, depressed, 3-lobed, 3-celled ; style 

 very short, thick, stigma faintly 3-lobed. Fruit berry-like, 

 when ripe about the same size as that of R. catharticus, and like it 

 surrounded at the base by the persistent flattened circular piece 



* Frangula, probably from frango, to break, the mediaeval name for this 

 bush ; from its brittle stems ? 



