DIC0TTLED0NE8. 209 



mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. They are of little 

 use except for ornament. The commonest iu cultivation 

 are the Honeysuckle {Lonicera), Snowberries {Symphori- 

 carpus), Bush-Honeysuckles {Diervilla), the Snowball 

 {Viburnurn), Weigelia from Japan, etc. The berries of 

 the Elder (Sambucus) are sometimes used for making pies, 

 jellies, wine, etc. The beautiful lAnncea horealis, which 

 ■was a favorite of, and dedicated to, the immortal Linnaeus, 

 belongs to this family. 



194. The Polypetalae, or Choripetalae, are Dicoty- 

 ledonous, or Exogenous plants, whose flowers generally 

 have both sepals and petals, the latter not connately 

 united, but separate. Of this group the following families 

 are interesting or important : 



1. Cornaceae. The Dogwood family comprises but 

 seventy-five species, mainly in the North Temperate Zone. 

 They have simple leaves, and an adherent calyx, whose 

 limb is minute. The wood of the Flowering Dogwood 

 {Cornus florida) is hard and fine-grained, and sometimes 

 used as a substitute for box- wood.- Many species of Cor- 

 nus are ornamental plants. The wood of the Sour-Gum 

 (Nyssa midtiflorai) is much used for hubs for wagon-wheels, 

 being difficult to split. 



2. Araliacese. The Ginseng family; three hundred 

 and forty species ; mostly tropical ; shrubs or trees, rarely 

 herbs. Leaves alternate, compound; fruit a berry, or 

 drupe. The European Ivy (Hedera Helix) and Aralia 

 spinosa are common in cultivation as ornamental plants. 

 The root of Ginseng (Aralia quinquefolia) of the United 

 States is medicinal. The pith of Aralia papyrifera of 

 China is cut into thin sheets, pressed flat, and forms the 

 Chinese rice-paper. 



14 



