Pl.end.pk. 17. SMiLACEiE. 126. Ruscus. 189 



IV. 126. RUSCUS. Castor. Butchers-broom. 



Perigonium 6-pavted, expanding ; androphore cylindrical, 

 tubular ; female naked, male with 6 sessile anthers ; style 1 ; 

 stigma 1, obtuse; ovary free, 3-celled; herry globose; seeds 

 1 or 2 in each cell, ovate ; corculum rather straight, not half 

 as long as the perisperm, opposite the hilum. — Root branchy, 

 perennial ; herb very stiff, evergreen, very much branched ; 

 leaves (leaflike peduncles?) ribbed, alternate, sessile, pun- 

 gent, flovi^er-bearing ; fioiuers sessile, white, dioicous or 

 unisexual. 



Ruscus aculeatus. Prickly butchers-broom. 



Stem stiff; leaves mucronate, pungent ; flowers on the 

 upper surface of the leaves, naked. 



Ruscus, Raii Syn. 262, 1 ; Park. 253. 



Ruscns sive Bruscus, Ger. em. 907. 



Ruscus aculeatus, Lin, S. P. 1474. 



Knee holme. Pettigree. Kneehulver. Knee holly. 



Woods and heaths ; perennial ; March and April. 



Herb biennial, upright, smooth; leaves sessile, not notched, 

 dark green ; flowers white ; androphore violet, yellow at top. 

 — Root aperitive. 



13. laxus. Leaves elliptical, narrow at both ends ; branches 

 loose. 



Ruscus laxus, Smith T. L. S. 3, 334, 



Fam.XIII. 18. TAMACE^. A-r/ 



Flowers dioicous; perigonium adherent, petaloid, 6-se- 

 paled, bellshape; sepales contracted at the orifice ; stamens 6^ 

 at the base of the sepales; ovary 3-celled; ovules 2 in each 

 cell ; style 1 ; stigmata 3, acute, 2-cut ; berry 3-celled ; seeds 

 few, ovate; spermodermis membranaceous, 



I. 127. TAMUS. Gesner. Black-briony. 



Perigonium bellshaped, spreading in the male flowers, 

 contracted in the female, . above the ovary ; style 1 ; stig- 

 mata 3 ; berry 3-celled. — Root fleshy, tuberous, perennial ; 

 stem annual, climbing, twisting to the left ; leaves alternate, 

 petiolate, ribbed ; stipulcB 2, small, at the base of the p.e* 

 duncle, reflexed; flowers racemosej axillary. 



