SMILACE^. (SMILAX FAMILY.) 475 



Order 149. SMILACEiE. (Smilax Family.) 



Herbs or climbing shrubs, not essentially distinct from the Lily Family, 

 but with ribbed and veiny reticulated leaves, and separate styles or stig- 

 mas. — Leaves not sheathing, often bearing tendrils. Fruit baccate. 



Suborder 1. EUSMILACE.a;. (Smilax Family.) Flowers di- 

 oecious, in axillary and umbel-like clusters. Anthers 1-celled. Stigmas 

 1-3, sessile or nearly so. Ovules 1 - 2 in each cell of the ovary, ortho- 

 tropous, suspended. — Tendril-bearing vines. Flowers small. Leaves 

 alternate. 



1. smilax. Cells of the ovary 1-ovuled. Woody vines. 



2? COPROSMANTIinS. Cells of the ovary 2-ovuled. Climbing herbs. 



Suborder IL TRILLIACE.a;. (Trillium Family.) Flowers 

 perfect, terminal. Anthers 2-celled. Styles or stigmas 3.' Ovules sev- 

 eral in each cell of the ovary, anatropous, horizontal. — Erect herbs. 

 Leaves whorled. 



3. TRILLIUM. Exterior leaves of the perianth calyx-like, persistent. Stem 1-flowered. Leaves 



3 in a whorl, terminal. 



4. MEDEOLA. Leaves of the perianth alike, deciduous. Stem few-flowpred. Leaves 3 - 7 in 



a whorl, lateral and terminal. 



1. SMILAX, Tourn. China Brier. 



Flowers dicecious. Perianth bell shaped, 6-leaved, the leaves nearly equal and 

 alike, deciduous. Stamens 6, inserted on the base of the perianth : anthers erect, 

 1 -celled. Ovary free from the perianth, 1 -3-celled, with a single orthotropous 

 pendulous ovule in each cell. Stigmas 1-3 (mostly 3), sessile or nearly so, 

 slender, spreading, or recurved. Berry 1 -3-celled, 1 -3-seeded. Seeds globu- 

 lar or angled. Embryo minute, in horny albumen. — Woody and commonly 

 thorny or prickly vines, climbing by means of a pair of tendrils attached to the 

 petioles. Leaves alternate, ribbed, and reticulate- veined, mostly smooth and, 

 shining. Flowers small, greenish, in stalked axillary clusters. 

 # Peduncles longer than the petioles or pedicels. 

 •t- Peduncles flattened ; berry black. 



1 . S. tamuoides, L. Stem scurfy when young, armed with stout subulate 

 prickles ; branches mostly unarmed, compressed - 4-angled ; leaves deltoid-ovate, 

 or hastate - 3-lobed, truncate or slightly cordate, rarely acute at the base, 5-7- 

 ribbed, often discolored; the margins, ribs, and petiole smooth, or fringed with 

 fine prickles ; peduncles about twice as long as the petioles ; stigmas 1-3, mostly 

 solitary; berry commonly 1-seeded. (S. Bona-Nox, hastata, hedereefolia, &c. 

 of authors.) — Swamps and thickets, Florida, and northward. May. 



2. S. Pseudo-China, L. Lower part of the stem beset with numerous 

 black needle-shaped prickles ; branches unarmed, slightly angled ; leaves ovate 

 or round-ovate, often contracted in the middle, rounded or cordate at the base^ 



