No. 14.] FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS. 263 



County. April — May. Probably southward largely an 

 escape from cultivation. 



The bark is medicinal and is officinal ; the berries are also 

 sometimes used medicinally. 



PTELEA L. Shrubby Trefoil. Hop Tree. 



Ptelea trifoliata L. (three-leaved). 

 Shrubby Trefoil. Hop Tree. 



Rare. Roadsides and waste places as an escape from 

 cultivation: Southington (Andrews), Seymour (Harger), 

 Ansonia (C. K. Averill), Woodbury (Eames), Huntington 

 (Eames & C. C. Godfrey), Litchfield (Miss E. H. Thompson)* 

 June. Adventive from the West. 



The bark of the root, the leaves and the fruit are medicinal. 



SIMARUBACEAE. QUASSIA FAMILY. 

 AILANTHUS Desf. Tree of Heaven. 



Ailanthus glandulosa Desf. (glandular). 

 Ailanthus. Tree of Heaven. 



Occasional. Waste places, fence-rows and along roadsides. 

 June; fruit Oct. Naturalized from China. 



A tree of rapid growth, well adapted to cultivation. It 

 propagates freely from seed and from root suckers and readily 

 accommodates itself to any soil. It was formerly supposed to 

 counteract malarial influences arising from the soil in which it 

 grew. The staminate tree, however, on account of its dis- 

 agreeable odor when in flower, is not desirable. The bark is 

 medicinal. 



POLYGALACEAE. MILKWORT FAMILY. 

 POLYGALA L. Milkwort. 



Polygala paucifolia Willd. (few-leaved). 



Fringed Polygala. Flowering Wintergreen. 



In woods, usually in light soil. Rare in New London 

 County, frequent elsewhere. May — June. 



A form with white flowers has been found at New Milford 

 (C. K. Averill). 



