616 Rhamnaceae 



pubescent near axils of nerves beneath, the lateral nerves 7-9 deltoid, rather acute; fruit narrowly oblong, 7-8 mm. long. 



pairs, the petioles 6-10 mm. long, glabrous; cymes terminal in June. Mountains; Honshu (Rikuchu, Shinano, Echigo 



upper axils, glabrous, few-flowered, short-peduncled, the pedi- Prov. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyushu; rare. s. Korea and 



eels 2-4 mm. long; flowers 3-3.5 mm. across; calyx-lobes China. 



4. SAGERETIA Brongn. Kuroige Zoku 



Evergreen or deciduous shrubs sometimes scandent, the branchlets often reduced to spines; leaves coriaceous, nearly opposite, 

 small, penninerved, entire or serrate, the stipules small, deciduous; spikes axillary, often in terminal panicles; flowers bisexual, 

 5-merous, small, whitish; petals inflexed at apex, the disc cup-shaped, 5-lobed; ovary 2- or 3-locular; style short, 2- or 3-lobed; 

 fruit a small, subglobose drupe with 2 or 3 stones. About 10 species, in e. and s. Asia, and N. America. 



1. Sageretia theezans (L.) Brongn. Rhamnus theezans late, the veinlets rather prominent on both sides, the petioles 



L. ^Kuroige. Deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with 2-4 mm. long, short-pubescent; spikes in terminal panicles and 



grayish, ramulose branches, densely short gray-pubescent, the on upper part of the branchlets, densely pubescent; flowers 

 short spurs often reduced to spines; leaves coriaceous, lustrous, sessile, about 3.5 mm. across, in few-flowered fascicles, yellow- 

 broadly ovate, 2-3 cm. long, 1-1.5 cm. wide, obmse with a ish; calyx-lobes deltoid, pubescent outside; drupe purplish 



mucro at apex, rounded at base, soon glabrous on upper side, black, subglobose, about 5 mm. across. Oct. Shikoku, Kyu- 



with deciduous grayish lanate hairs beneath, appressed-serru- shu (Fukuejima). Ryukyus, Formosa, China, and India. 



5. RHAMNELLA Miq. Neko-no-chichi Zoku 



Deciduous trees or shrubs; leaves alternate, serrulate, penninerved, petiolate, the stipules not spinelike, narrow; flowers short- 

 pedicelled, bisexual, 5-merous, greenish, small, in axillary cymes; petals small; stamens 5, perigynous; ovary incompletely 2-locular, 

 semisuperior; style bifid; drupe oblong, black, the stone solitary, 1- or rarely 2-seeded. Few species, in e. Asia. 



1. Rhamnella franguloides (Maxim.) Weberb. R. ja- tered spreading hairs on midrib beneath, the petioles 3-8 mm. 



ponica Miq.; Microrhamnus franguloides Maxim. Neko- long; cymes axillary, subsessile to short-peduncled, few-flow- 



No-cHicHi. Deciduous tree with brown branches, the young ered, the pedicels 2-4 mm. long; flowers about 3.5 mm. across; 



branchlets, inflorescence and petioles with thinly scattered calyx-lobes deltoid, with 3 weak nerves; petals small; stamens 



spreading short hairs; leaves obovate-oblong, sometimes ob- 5; fruit narrowly oblong, 8-10 mm. long, yellowish at first, 



long, 6-12 cm. long, 2.5-4 cm. wide, caudate-acuminate, black at maturity. May-June. Mountains; Honshu (Kinki 



rounded to obtuse at base, serrulate, glabrous or with scat- Distr. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyushu. s. Korea. 



6. RHAMNUS L. Kuro-ume-modoki Zoku 



Deciduous or evergreen shrubs or trees, sometimes the short spurs spinelike; leaves alternate or nearly opposite, penninerved, 

 serrate or rarely entire, stipulate; flowers bisexual, polygamous, or unisexual, small, yellowish green or whitish, 4- or 5-merous, 

 sometimes apetalous, in axillary fascicles, umbels, or racemes; ovary 2- to 4-locular; style usually simple; fruit a subglobose drupe 



with 2-4, 1-seeded stones or rarely 1, the stones opening on the inner side. More than 100 species, chiefly in the N. Hemisphere, a 



few in S. America and Africa. 



lA. Winter-buds with scales; leaves often subopposite; flowers unisexual, the plants dioecious; seeds grooved on back. 

 2A. Leaves subopposite or at least partly so; stipules small, linear; erect much branched shrubs. 



3 A. Pairs of lateral nerves few, forming an acute angle with the midrib, prominently incurved at the tip; pedicels not more than 1.5 

 cm. long; short-spurs often becoming spiny. 

 4A. Leaves small, 2-8 cm. long, 1-3 cm. wide, glabrous to pubescent. 

 5A. Leaves broadly to narrowly obovate, 2-8 cm. long. 



6A. Branches grayish; leaves glabrous or puberulous I. R. japonica 



6B. Branches purplish brown; leaves puberulent on upper side when young, sparsely pubescent beneath especially on nerves. 



2. R. yoshinot 



5B. Leaves elliptic to narrowly oblong, or sometimes obovate in smaller ones, 5-10 cm. long 3. i?. davurica var. nipponica 



4B. Leaves larger, 10-20 cm. long, 3-8 cm. wide, membranous, much longer than the petioles, yellowish pubescent on nerves 



beneath 4. R. utilis 



3B. Pairs of lateral nerves 17-23, ascending, parallel, curved at tip; petioles very short; pedicels slender, 2-4 cm. long; branches not 



spiny 5. ;?. costata 



2B. Leaves always alternate; stipules rather broad; small unarmed shrub with creeping branches 6. R. ishidae 



IB. Winter-buds naked, without scales; leaves always alternate; flowers bisexual; seeds without a groove on back 7. R. crenata 



1. Rhamnus japonica Maxim. R. japonica var. genuina long-cuneate at base, obtusely appressed-serrulate, glabrous or 



Maxim. Kuro-ume-modoki. Much branched, glabrous, sparingly short-puberulous on upper side, pale green and gla- 



deciduous shrub with short spurs often reduced to spines; brous or thinly puberulent on nerves beneath, the lateral 



leaves broadly to narrowly obovate, rarely orbicular-obovate, nerves 3 or 4 pairs, forming an acute angle with the midrib; 



2-8 cm. long, 1-4 cm. wide, rounded to obtuse in smaller flowers yellowish green, about 4 mm. across, fasciculate in axils 



ones, abruptly acuminate with an obtuse tip in larger ones, of lower part of branches, the pedicels 5-15 mm. long; calyx- 



