Oedee 38.— ANACAEDIACE^. 



283 



©xceaeively pungent in tasto. May. — The cone-liko warta on the bark of the 

 larger trees are very curious. 



4. PTELEA, L. Shrub Trefoil. (Gr. TrrsAsa, the elm tree ; from 

 the resemblance of the fraits.) ? ij J . Sepals 3 to 6, mostly 4, much 

 shorter than the spreading petals ; $ stamens longer than the petals 

 and alternate with them, very short and imperfect in ? ; ovary of 2 

 united carpels ; styles united, short or ; stigmas 2 ; fruit 2-celled, 2- 

 seeded samarse, with a broad, orbicular margin. — Shrubs with 3 to 5- 

 foliate Ivs. Fls. cymous. 



P. trifoli^ta L. Lvs. 3-foliate, Ifls. sessile, ovate, short-acuminate, lateral onea 

 inequilateral, terminal ones cuneato at base ; cymes corymbous ; stam. mostly 4 ; 

 sty. short. — An ornamental shrub, 6 to 8f high, West. States, rare in W. N. York. 

 Lfts. 3 to 4J' by li to 1|', the ped. rather longer. Fls. white, odorous, nearly A' 

 diam. Samara nearly 1 diam. 



5. AILANTUS, Desf. Chinese " Tme-of-Heaven." (From the 

 Chinese name, Ailanto.) ¥ ij ? Sepals 5, more or less united at base; 

 petals 5 ; ^ stamens 2 to 3 ; ovaries 3 to 5 ; styles lateral ; fruit 1- 

 celled, 1-seeded samarse, with oblong margins ; $ stamens 10 ; 5 ova- 

 ries, styles and samarse as in ^ . — Oriental trees and shrubs with pin- 

 nate lvs. Fls. in panicles. 



A. glanduldsa Desf. Lvs. glabrous, unequally pinnate, lfts. ovate or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, shortly petiolate, with one or two obtuse, glandular teeth 

 each side at base, terminal one long-petiolate. — A tree of large dimensions, and 

 with luxuriant foliage. Trunk straight, with a smooth, brown bark. Lvs. 3 to 

 5f in length, with 10 to 20 pairs of leaflets, and an odd one. Fls. in terminal 

 panicles, green, very ill-scented, rendering the tree a nuisance when in bloom 

 (May and June). The rapid growth of this tree is its only recommendation as a 

 tenant of our parks. 



Order XXXVIII. ANACAEDIACE^. Sumachs. 



Trees or shrubs, with a resinous, gummy, paustic, 

 or oven milky juice. Leaves alternate, simple or 

 ternate, or unequally pinnate, without pellucid 

 dots. Fls. terminal or axillary, with bracts, com- 

 monly dioecious, small. Sepals B to 5, united at 

 base,« persistent. Petals of the same number, 

 (sometimes 0), imbricated. Stcmiens aa many as 

 petals, alternate with them, distinct or coherent, 

 and perigynous. Ovary 1-celled, free. Ovule one 

 Styles 3 or 0. Stigmas 3. Fruit a berry or drupe, 

 usually the latter, and 1-seeded. AlbuTnen 0. 



Genera 43, species 100, chiefly natives of tropical 

 regions, represented in tlio U. B. hy tlio genus llhus 

 only. 



Properties. — These plants abound in fl resinous juice, 

 which is poisonous, but is used aa an indelible ink in 

 marlcing linen, and as an ingredient in varnish. Even 

 the exhalations from sonic of the species aro deemed 

 poisonous. The Cashew nut is the product of a small tree of both Indies. When fresh the ker- 

 nel is full of a, milky juice, and has a most delicious taste, but the coats aro filled with a caus- 

 tic oil which blisters the skin and kills warts. 



RHUS, L. Sumac. (The ancient name, from Celtic, rAwrfc?, red ?) 

 Calyx of 3 sepals united at base ; petals and stamens 5 ; styles 3, stig- 

 mas capitate ; fruit a small, 1-seeded, subglobous, dry dnipe. — Small 



031, Rhus, leaf and panicle. 2. A Etam- 

 fnate flower. 3. Section of a fertile fiowef, 



