104 BUCKTHORN FAMILY. 



2. BOONTMUS, SPINDLE TREE, BURNING BUSH, STRAW- 

 BERRY TREE. (Greek : of good repute.) 



* Leaves deciduous, ovate. 



+- Branches not winged. 



** Native species ; anthers nearly or quite sessile. 



E. atropurpiireus, Jaoq. Burning Bush or Spindle Tree. Tall shrub, 

 wild from New York W. and S., and commonly plat) ted ; with short, 

 small buds and oval or oblong, petioled, sharply serrate leaves ; flowers 

 with rounded, dark, dull-purple petals (generally 4), and smooth, deeply 

 4-lobed, red fruit, hanging on slender peduncles. 



E. Americanus, Linn. American Strawberry Bush. Low shrub, 

 wild from New York W. and S., and sometimes cult. ; with thickish 

 ovate or lance-ovate, almost sessile leaves, usually ,6 greenish-purple 

 rounded petals, and rough-warty, somewhat 3-lobed fruit, crimson when 

 ripe. Var. obovatus, with thinner and dull obovate or oblong leaves, 

 has long and spreading or trailing and rooting branches. 



++ ++ Mxotic; anthers raised on evident filaments. 



E. Europhus, Linn. European Spindle Tree. Occasionally planted, 

 but inferior to the foregoing ; a rather low shrub, with lance-ovate or 

 oblong, short-petioled leaves, about 3-flowered peduncles, "4 greenish 

 oblong petals, and a smooth, 4-lobed red fruit, the aril orange-color. Eu. 



E. latifblius, Bauh. Has long, pointed, large buds, many-flowered 

 peduncles, whitish flowers and red-ariled fruit. Eu. 



+- -i- Branches strongly winged. 



E. Thunbergianus, Blume. (In cult. asE. alatus.) Smooth branches 

 with 4 corky wings (these rarely wanting) ; leaves elliptic, acuminate ; 

 peduncles 1-3-flowered, capillary ; capsule 4-parted, smooth. Japan. 



* * Leaves deciduous or nearly so ; linear. 



E. nanus, Bieb. 2°-3° high; leaves coriaceous, linear (1 '-2' long), 

 on the young shoots alternate or apparently whorled, margin revolute ; 

 pod pink ; aril orange, covering only half the seed. Caucasus. Hardy N. 



* * * Leaves evergreen, ovate or oblong. 



E. Jap6nicus, Thunb. Japan S. Planted S. under the name of Chi 

 nese Box, there hardy, but tender N.; leaves obovate, shining and bright 

 green, also forms with white or yellowish variegation ; peduncles several- 

 flowered ; petals 4, obovate, whitish ; pods smooth, globular. 



Var. radlcans, climbing by rootlets, leaves varying from oval and very 

 short-petiolate to ovate or elliptic and distinctly petiolate. Hardy N. to 



XXXI. RHAMNACEJ1, BUCKTHORN FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, of bitterish and astringent properties, with 

 simple, chiefly alternate leaves, and small flowers ; well marked 

 by the stamens of the number of the valvate sepals (4 or 5) and 

 alternate with them, i.e. opposite the petals, inserted on a disk 

 which lines the calyx- tube and often unites it with the base of the 

 ovary, this having a single, erect ovule in each of the (2-5) cells. 

 Branches often thorny ; stipules minute or none ; flowers often 

 apetalous or polygamous. Petal commonly hooded or invo- 

 lute around the stamen before it. (Lessons, Figs. 364, 365.) 



