PI. ex. cat. 65. RHAMNEiE. 383. Rhamnus. 621 



a. Rhamnus. Branches spinous ; stigma ^-cut ; 

 pla?it dioicous. 



1. Rhamnus catharticus. Purging buckthorn. 

 Calyx 4-cut; leaves ovate, toothed; teeth acute; stem 



upright J branches ending in spines ; plant dioicous. 



Rhamnus catharticus. Rail Syn. 466, 1 ; Lin. S. P. 279. 



Rhamnus solutivus, Ger. em, 1337, 1. 



Rhamnus solutivus, seu Spina infectoria vulgaris. Park, 243. 



Waythorn. . Laxative ram. Rhein berry. French berry. Yellow berry. 



Woods and hedges ; shrubby ; May and June. 



Branches stiff, alternate ; leaves in bundles, petioled, rib- 

 bed, when young downy ; Jloiuers peduncled, yellowish 

 green ; berry black, ^-seeded. — Juice of the unripe berries 

 yellow, used in staining ; of the ripe berries cathartic, but 

 griping, made into a syrup, and corrected in some measure 

 by ginger and cloves, also boiled down with some alum, 

 into a green water-colour, called sap green ; when gathered 

 late in autumn, the juice is purple; bark used to dye yel- 

 low. 



b. Frangula» Branches without spines; stigma 2-cut ; 

 berry 2-seeded. 



2. Rhamnus alnoides. Alderlike buckthorn. 

 Branches spineless \ flowers hermaphrodite; style 1; leaves 



petioled, not cut, bald; berry 2-seeded. 



Frangula seu Alnus nigra baccifera, Raii Syn, 465, 1 ; Park 240. 



Alnus nigra, sive Frangula, Ger. em. 1470. 



Rhamnus Frangula, Lin. S. P. 280. 



Black alter tree. Butchers prick tree. Berrybearing alder. 



Wet woods; shrubby; May. 



Stem much branched ; peduncles axillary, 1 -flowered ; 

 corolla white; anthers purple; berries dark violet. — Inner 

 bark purgative in doses of 2 to 4 drachms in infusion, also 

 4yes yellow; wood makes soft charcoal, fit for gunpowder. 



