PENTANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Ribes. 329 



121. EUONYMUS. Spindle-tree. 



Linn. Gen. 107. Juss. 377. Fl. Br.262. Tourn. t.388. Lam. 1. 131. 

 Gcertn. t. 1 13. 



Nat. Orel, see n. 120. 



Cal. inferior, of 1 leaf, flat, in 5 deep, rounded, concave, 

 permanent segments. Pet. 5, oblong, flat, spreading, 

 longer than the calyx. Filam. awl-shaped, straight, 

 distant, attached to the germen as well as to the recep- 

 tacle. Anth. 2-lobed. Germ, superior, depressed, pointed. 

 Style short, simple. Stigma obtuse. Cajis. succulent, co- 

 loured, with 5 sides, 5 prominent angles, 5 cells, and 5 

 coriaceous valves having central partitions. Seeds solitary, 

 ovate ; each enveloped in a succulent, folded, coloured tunic. 



Shnibs with opposite branches, hard "iaood, and opposite, stalk- 

 ed, simple, smooth, deciduous leaves. Fl. on forked axillary 

 stalks; often 4-cleft. i^zVcw. in some instances very short. 



1. Yi. eiiropceus. Common Spindle-tree, or Prickwood. 



Flowers mostly four-cleft. Petals acute. Branches smooth 

 and even. 



E. europseus. Linn. Sp. PL 286. WiUd. v. 1. 11 30. Fl. Br. 2(52. 

 Engl. Bot. V. 6. t. 362. Hook. Scot. 81 . Bull. Fr. t. 135. 



E. vulgaris. Rail Sijn. 468. Scop. Cam. v. 1. 167. Ehrh. Arb.3. 



E. n. 829. Hall. Hist. V. 1.370. 



Euonymus. Matth. Valgr. v. 1. 173./. Camer. Epit. 102. f. Dod. 

 Fempt. 783./. 



E. Theophrasti. Ger. Em. 1468./. 



Carpinus Theophrasti. Trag. Hist. 982. t. 983. 



In hedges and thickets. 



Shrub, or small tree. May. 



Fetid in every part when bruised, and esteemed poisonous, whence 

 arose, by antiphrasis, the generic name, signifying in Greek of 

 good repute. -6/aKc/jes angular when young ; afterwards roundj 

 with a green, smooth, not warty, bark. Leaves ovate, pointed, 

 finely serrated, about 2 inches long. .Siipi<Z«s awl-shaped, very 

 small, soon falling off. Fl. fetid, small, greenish white ; the 

 first only 5-cleft. Caps, of a fine rose-colour, occasionally white. 

 Tunics of the seeds always orange-coloured, elegantly contrast- 

 ing with the red, or white, valves. 



The very hard fine-grained wood is preferred for spindles, and for 

 skewers, 



122. RIBES. Currant and Gooseberry. 



Linn. Gen. 111. Juss. 310. Fl. Br. 263. Lam. f. 1 16. 

 Grossukuia. Tourn. t. 409. Gartn. t. 28. 



