504 



RHAMNACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



5. Rhamnus Frangula L. Alder Buckthorn. 

 Black Dogwood. Fig. 2827. 



Rhamnus Frangula L. Sp. PI. 193. 1753. 



A shrub, reaching a maximum height of about 

 8°, the young twigs finely and sparsely puberulent. 

 Leaves thin, elliptic or obovate, entire or very ob- 

 scurely crenulate, glabrous on both surfaces, obtuse 

 or cuspidate at the apex, rounded or narrovifed at 

 the base, iV-^V long, i'-i4' wide; petioles 2"-4" 

 long; umbels i-6-flowered, strictly sessile in the 

 axils ; flowers 5-merous, perfect ; calyx nearly hemi- 

 spheric, its lobes ovate, acute ; fruiting pedicels 

 2"-s" long; fruit 3"-4" in diameter, the 3 nutlets 

 compressed, not grooved. 



In bogs, Long Island, northern New Jersey and On- 

 tario. Naturalized from Europe. May-June. Black- 

 alder. Berry-alder. Arrow-wood. Persian-berry. 



3. CEANOTHUS L. Sp. PI. 195. 1753. 



Shrubs, with alternate petioled leaves, and terminal or axillary corymbs or panicles of 

 white blue or yellowish perfect flowers. Calyx-tube hemispheric, or top-shaped, the limb 

 5-lobed. Petals S, hooded, clawed, longer than the calyx-lobes, inserted under the disk. 

 Stamens 5 ; filaments filiform, elongated. Ovary immersed in the disk and adnate to it at 

 the base, 3-lobed. Disk adnate to the calyx. Style short, 3-cleft. Fruit dry, 3-lobed, sepa- 

 rating longitudinally at maturity into 3 nutlets. Seed-coat smooth; endosperm fleshy; cotyle- 

 dons oval or obovate. [Name used by Theophrastus for some different plant.] 



About 55 species, natives of North America and northern 

 americanus L. 



Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong ; peduncles long. 

 Leaves oblong or oval-lanceolate ; peduncles short. 



Mexico. Type species : Ceanothu 



1. C. americanus. 



2, C. ovatus. 



I. Ceanothus americanus L. New Jersey Tea. Red-root. Fig. 2828. 



Ceanothus americanus L. Sp. PI. 195. I753- 



Stems erect or ascending, branching, sev- 

 eral commonly together from a deep reddish 

 root, puberulent, especially above. Leaves 

 ovate or ovate-oblong, l'-3' long, i'-l' 

 wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, obtuse 

 or subcordate at the base, finely pubescent, 

 especially beneath, serrate all around, 

 ■Strongly 3-nerved; petioles 2"-s" long; 

 peduncles terminal and axillary, elongated, 

 often leafy, bearing dense oblong clusters 

 of small white flowers ; pedicels 3"-6" 

 long, white; claws of the petals very nar- 

 row; fruit depressed, about 2" high, nearly 

 black. 



In dry open woods, Maine to Ontario, Mani- 

 toba, south to Florida and Texas. May-July. 

 Ascends to 4200 ft. in North Carolina. An in- 

 fusion of the leaves was used as tea by the 

 American troops during the Revolution. Also 

 called Wild snowball. Spangles. Walpole-tea. 

 Wild pepper. Mountain-sweet. 



