Buckthorn Family. 29 



ILICINEAE Low. Holly Family. 



Shrubs, with alternate petioled simple leaves, and small solitary or 

 clustered axillary pol.ygamo-dioejious flowers. The principal genus in the 

 United States is Ilex L. 



\. vcrticillata (L.) A. Gray. Shrub 6-20 feet high; leaves oval, obovate to 

 oblong-lanceolate, pointed, serrate, turning black' in autumn: flowers all 

 short pertuncled, in clusters or the fertile solitary. Reported from Mitchell 

 county by Arthur. 



RHAMNACEAE Damon. Buckthorn Family. 

 Small tives or shi-ubs, with simplealternate leaves, and regular some- 

 times apetalous flowers. Sepals 4-5. Petals 4-5, valyate in the bud. 

 Stamens 4-5, opposite to the petals and alternate with the sepals, in- 

 serted along with the petals into the edge of the fleshy disk which lines 

 the calyx and sometimes the ovary. Stigmas 2-5. Ovary 2-5-celled- 

 sessile; ovules solitary. 



Rhamnus. Calyx and disk free from the ovary ; petals none or small and short clawed. 

 Ckanothi'S. Calyx and disk adherent to the base of the ovary ; petals long clawed. 



RHAMNUS L. Leaves pinnately veined. Flowers in axillary clusters, 

 greenish. Caiyx campanulate, 4-Vcleft, tube, lined with the disk. Ovary 

 free, 2-i-celled; styles 2-1. Fruit a small berry-like drupe. 



R. lanceolate! Pursh. Ducl'.tkora. A thornless shrub, 3-10 feet high; leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute, or obtuse, serrulate, petioled; flowers appearing 

 closely after, the leaves, of two sorts on different individuals, one form in 

 short axillary clusters with a, short included style, the other with often soli-; 

 tary longer pedicels and exserted style; petals 4, minute, deeply notched, 

 sometimes not apparent; styles 2; fruit dark colored, 2-seeded. Upland 

 thickets: May; a, frequent shrub, widely distributed over the southern half 

 of the state and extending fa,r into the northern portion. 



R. alnifolia L'Her. A low shrub with oval acute serrate leaves; flowers 

 solitary or 2—3 together in the axils of the leaves, mostly dioecious, apetalous; 

 calyx-lobes 5; stamens 5. Reported from Winneshiek county. (Arthur.) 



CEANOTHUS L. Low shrubby plants, with white flowers in umbel-like 

 clusters. Calyx 5-cleft, persistent, petaloid: Petals 5, longer than the calyx,- 

 hooded. Stamens mostly exserted. Style 3-cleft. Capsule 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



C. americanus L. New Jersey Tea. Stems 1-3 feet high, from a dark red 

 root, branches slightly pubescent; leaves ovate, 3-ribbed, acuminate, serrate, 

 somewhat pubescent; peduncles axillary and terminal, elongated. Upland 

 woods and prairies; June; common. 



C. ovatus Desf. Usually smaller than the preceding; leaves oval-lanceo- 

 late or oblong, glandular serrate, peduncle short, pubescent. Prairies; May; 

 common: Story, Shelby, Decatur, Adams, Montgpmery, and Pottawattomie 

 counties. Iowa specimens are more or less pubescent, the typical plant being 

 glabrous throughout, henee our specimens are usually referred to the var. 

 jjubescens T. & G. i 



VITACEAE Lindl. Grape Family. 



Climbing shrubs, with copious watery juice, nodose joints, climbing by 

 tendrils, alternate petioled leaves, and small regular greenish perfect or 

 polygamo-dioecious flowers. Calyx entire or 4-5-toothed. Petals 4-5, 

 caducous. Stamens 4-5, opposite the petals. Ovary 2-celled. Fruit a- 

 2-celled 2 -4-seeded berry. -i 



