226 xxsvii. CAPKIFOLIACEAE. [Sambucus. 



Division II.— GAMOPETALAE. 



Ohdbe XXXVII. -CAPRIEOLIACEAE. 



Calyx-limb 4-5-lobed or -toothed, adnate with the ovary. Corolla inserted 

 round the epigynous disk, regular or irregular, tubular, eampanulate or rotate, 

 with 4—5 imbricate teeth or lobes. Stamens usually as many as the corolla- 

 lobes, inserted on the tube, equal or unequal. Ovary inferior, 2— 5-celled, rarely 

 1-celled, with 1 or moi'e pendulous ovules in each cell. Style filiform ; 

 stigma entire or divided. Fruit a 1— 5-celled berry. Seeds 1 or more in each 

 cell. Endosperm fleshy; embryo axile; radicle superior. Trees or shrubs, 

 often climbing, rarely herbs. Leaves usually exstipulate, opposite or rarely 

 alternate, simple or rarely pinnate. 



A small order, most frequent in the northern temperate region, with a few southern species. 

 Represented in Australia by Sambucus alone, and in New Zealand by the endemic genus 

 Al.seuosmia. 



* SAMBUcns. Leaves pinnate. Corolla rotate. Flowers ia terminal corymbose cymes. 



1. ALSEnosMiA. Leaves simple. Corolla tubular. Flowers axillary, 



* SAMBUCUS, Linn. 

 Calyx-teeth 3-5, minute or obsolete. Corolla with a very short tube, 3-5- 

 partite, rotate or eampanulate. Stamens 3-5, inserted at the base of the corolla. 

 Ovary 3-5-celled ; style short, or stigma sessile, 3-5-lobed. Fruit a small berry-like 

 juicy drupe containing 3-5 pyrenes. Trees, shrubs, or herbs, usually strong-smelling. 

 Leaves opposite, pinnate. Flowers in large terminal compound cymes. 



*S. nigra, L., Sp. PL 269. A shrub or small tree, 10ft. -15ft. high, with corky 

 lenticellate bark ; branches with thick pith. Leaflets in 2-4 pairs, ovate-oblong or 

 lanceolate, acute', serrate. Cymes 5-rayed, 5in.-8in. in diameter, flat-topped. Berry 

 small, black, shining. 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands: frequently naturalised ; sometimes forming a large part of the 

 undergrowth in woods. Elder. Oct., Nov. Europe. 



1. ALSEUOSMIA, A. Cunn. 

 Calyx-teeth 4 or 5, narrow, deciduous. Corolla tubular or narrowly 

 funnel-shaped, with 4—5 spreading lobes ; margins inflexed, sometimes toothed 

 or lobulate. Stamens 4—5, inserted near the mouth of the corolla ; filaments 

 short ; anthers oblong. Ovary 2-celled ; style filiform ; stigma clavate or sub- 

 clavate ; ovules 2-seriate, several in each cell, pendulous. Berry ovoid, crimson, 

 2-celled, several-seeded, crowned with the epigynous disk. Seeds angular; 

 testa bony. Shrubs, with alternate subcoriaceous polymorphous leaves and 

 axillary solitary or fascicled drooping flowers on short bracteolate pedicels. 



Small tufts of minute red hairs are found in the axils of the leaves and braoteoles. The genus 

 is endemic in New Zealand, and the species are so excessively variable that it is impossible to 

 separate them by sharply-defined characters. The flowers are delicioualy fragrant. 



Leaves 3in.-7in. long, broad. Flowers lm.-2in. long .. .. ..1, A. macrophylla. 



Leaves lin.-3ia. long, oblong or obovnte. Flowers Jin.-Jin. long .. ..2. A . guercifolia. 



Leaves Jin.-lin. long, ovate or rhomboid. Flowers Jin.-Jin. long _ .. .. ^. A. Banksii. 



Leaves narrow-linear or linear . . . . . . . . . . . . i. A. Unariifolia. 



