SOAPBERRY FAMILY. 109 



grooved, stigmas 3 ; ovary 3-lobed, 8-celled, with 8 ovnles In each cell. Fruit a thiok- 

 walled capsule tardily splitting into 3 valves. Seeds globular, J' diam., purple 

 brown. 



* * * Leaves opposite, O/5-9 digitate leaflets. Pod leathery, not inflated. 

 4. ^ESCULUS. Trees or shrubs. Calyx 5-lobed or 5-toothed. Petals 4 or 5, more or less 

 unequal, on claws inclosed in the calyx, not appendaged. Stamens 7, rarely 6 or 8 ; 

 filaments slender, often unequal. Style single, as also the minute stigma ; ovary 3- 

 celled, with a pair of ovules in each cell. Flowers in a terminal crowded panicle, in 

 late spring, or summer. Fruit a leathery pod, splitting at maturity into 3 valves, 

 ripening 1-3 very large, chestnut-like, hard-coated seeds. (Lessons, p. 19, and Figs. 



II. MAPLE SUBFAMILY. Flowers generally polyga- 

 mous or dioecious, and sometimes apetalous, a mostly 2-lobed 

 and 2-celled ovary, with a pair of ovules in each cell, ripening 

 a single seed in each cell of the winged fruit. Embryo with 

 long and thin cotyledons, coiled or crumpled. (Lessons, p. 15, 

 Figs. 11-13, etc.) Leaves opposite ; no stipules. 



6. ACER. Trees or shrubs, with palmately-lobed or even parted leaves. Calyx mostly 

 5-cleft. Petals as many or none, and stamens 3-8 or rarely more, borne on the edge 

 of the disk. Styles or stigmas 2, slender. Fruit a pair of samaras or key-fruits, 

 united at the base or inner lace and winged from the back. Occasionally the ovary is 

 3-celled and the fruit 3-winged. 



6. NEGUNDO. Trees, with pinnate leaves of 3-5 leaflets, and dioecious, very small flowers, 



without petals or disk ; the calyx minute ; stamens 4 or 5. Fruit, etc., of Acer. 



III. BLADDEE NUT SUBFAMILY. Flowers perfect 

 and regular; stamens as many as the petals; several bony 

 seeds with a straight embryo in scanty albumen, and opposite, 

 compound leaves both stipulate and stipellate. 



7. STAPH YLEA. Erect sepals, petals, and stamens 5 ; the latter borne on the margin of 



a fleshy disk which lines the bottom of the calyx. Styles 2-3, slender, separate or 

 lightly cohering ; ovary strongly 2-3-lobed, in fruit becoming a bladdery 2-3-lobed, 

 2-8-celled, and several-seeded, large, bladdery pod. Shrubs, with pinnately compound 

 leaves of 3-7 leaflets. 



1. CARDIOSPERMUM, BALLOON VINE, HEARTSEED. (The 

 latter is a translation of the Greek name.) 



C. Halicacabum, Linn. A delicate, climbing herb, or spreading; 

 flowers small, white, in summer. Wild in S. W. States, and cult, for the 

 inflated pods. 



2. KCELREUTERIA. (Named for Kcelreuter, a German botanist. ) 



K. paniculata, Laxm. Leaves of numerous thin and coarsely toothed ov 

 cut leaflets, and a panicle of small yellow flowers (in summer) terminal, 

 amply branched. China. 



3. XANTHOCERAS. (Greek : yellow horn ; the disk-horned.) 



X. sorbifdl/a, Bunge. Leaves large, leaflets 11-21 ovate-lanceolate, 

 coarsely serrate ; flowers (!' broad) in dense, raceme-like clusters; petals 

 crumpled, white, marked with yellow, changing to purple. China. 



