Ord. menispermacej:. 



Sarmentosas exstipulatas, alternifolise (foliis palmatiner- 

 viis) : dicotyledoneae, hypogynee ; floribus parvulis unisexua- 

 libus ; perianthio concolori plerumque trimero bi - octo-seriali, 

 sestivatione alternatim imbricato ; staminibus oppositipetalis 

 vel subindefinitis ; carpellis paucis uniovulatis ; fructu dru- 

 paceo ; embryone majusculo in albumine parco, cum semine 

 fructuque incurvato. 



Menisferma, Juss. Gen. p. 284. 

 Menispermoide.'e, Vent. Tabl. 3. p. 78. 

 Menisperme.£ verse, DC. Syst. 1. p. 508. excl. § 1. 

 Menispermace.s, DC. Prodr. 1. p. 95 (excl. Trib. 1 & 3). Endl. Gen. p. 

 825. excl. Subord. 2. 



The Moonseed Family is a small group, of about sixteen recognized 

 genera and two hundred species, belonging principally to the intertropical 

 regions of Asia and America. There are only three species known in the 

 United States, or, indeed, in all extratropical North America; and these 

 pertain to as many distinct genera. One of them extends northward to 

 Canada; the others are confined to the warmer part of the country. 



They are all climbing or twining vines, with woody stems, at least at the 

 base (although our Moonseed dies down nearly to the ground at the north) ; 

 bearing alternate, palmately-veined and usually lobed or angled, often pel- 

 tate leaves, on slender petioles, destitute of stipules ; and with small, dioe- 

 cious or polygamous flowers, borne in axillary racemes or panicles. Their 

 commonly trimerous floral envelopes, of more than two series, which in many 

 cases are not readily distinguishable into calyx and corolla, and the tendency 

 towards indefinite stamens, and more than one pistil, are characters which 

 show the near alliance of Menispermacea; with the foregoing orders, and 

 especially with Anonaceae, some of which have few stamens and pistils ; 

 while the position of the stamens when definite before the petals, with the 

 imbricated pluriseriate arrangement of the floral envelopes, indicates their 

 affinity with Berberidaceaa. They are at once distinguished from both these 

 families by their habit, unisexual flowers, and especially by their large em- 

 bryo in sparing albumen, and the peculiar incurvation of the drupaceous 



