Order 40.— ACERACE^. 



285 



thickness, covered with a grayish, scaly bark, and tliipws out all along its length 

 myriads of thread-like rootlets, which bind it firmly to its support. Leaflets 3, 

 of a dark and shining green, the lowest rarely angular. Berries dull white. Fla 

 greenish. May, Jn. — The juice, like that of the last, is poisonous, and forms an 

 indelible ink. (R. tox. /3. Mx. and Ed. 2d.) 



8 R. arozndtica Ait. Sweet Scmao. Los. sessile, inciaely cremate, pubescent 

 beneath, lateral ones ovate, terminal one rhomboid ; fls. in close aments, preced- 

 ing the leaves ; drupe globous, villous.— A small, aromatic shrub, 2 to 6f high, 

 in hedges and thickets, Can. and TJ. S. Lfts. 1 to 2' long, J as wide, sessile, the 

 common petiole an inch or two in length. Fls. yellowish with a 5-lobed, glandu- 

 lar disk. Drupes red, acid. May. Not poisonous. 



9 R. CotinuB L. Venetian Sumac. Lvs. obovate, entire; fls. mostly abortive, 

 pedicels finally elongated and clothed with hairs. — A small shrub 8f high, native 

 in Ark. according to Nuttall (?), remarkable chiefly for the very singular and orna- 

 mental appearance of its long, diffuse, feathery fi:uit-8talks, showing in the dis- 

 tance as if the plant were enveloped in a cloud of smoke. Fls. small, in terminal, 

 compound panicles. Lvs. smooth, entire, much rounded at the end. In Italy 

 the plant is used for tanning. 



10 R. cotinoldes Buckley. A large tree, 40 to 50f in height, in woods on the 

 high mts. of N. Car. (Buckley). Also in Ark. (Nuttall ?). We have seen no 

 specimens, and are unable to give the specific differences between this new 

 species and R. Cotinus, if, indeed, it be distinct, as is probable. 



Order XXXIX. PITTOSPORACE^. 



Trees or Shrubs, with alternate, exstipulate leaves and regular flowers. Gal\fx 

 and corolla 4 or 5-merous, imbricated in the bud, deciduous ; stamens 5, hypogynous, 

 alternate with the petals. Ovary free, style single, stigmas 2 or more, cdils or pla- 

 centas as many. Seeds numerous ; embryo in fleshy albumen. 



Gensra 12, species 78, chiefly from Australia. 



PITTOSPORUM, Solander. (Gr mrra, pitcb, andpog, seed ; the cap- 

 sule is resinous.) Sepals 5, deciduous; petals 5, conniving in a tube ; 

 capsule 2 to 5-cclled, 2 to 5-valved ; seeds pulpy. — Handsome ever- 

 green shrubs. 



P. tobira Leland. Lv& coriaceous, smooth and polished, obovate, obtuse ; caps. 

 3-valved. — This plant is hardy in the gardens, south, and common in the green- 

 house, north. Lvs. entire, beautifully dark-green and shining. Fls. in terminal 

 clusters, white. 



ACERACE.^. ilAPLEs. 



Trees or shrubs, with opposite, usually sunple and 

 palmate-veined leaves. Stipules 0. Flowers often 

 polygamous, in asillaiy corymbs or racemes, hypo- 

 gynous. Sepals 5, rarely 4 to 9, more or less united, 

 colored, imbricate in sestivation. Petals 5, rarely 

 4 to 9, hypogynous ; sometimes 0. Sia. usually 8, 

 on a fleshy disk. Ovary 2-lobed, compounded of 2 

 united carpels. Pr. a double samara with opposite 

 wings, thickened at the lower edges. AUmmen 0. 

 (lUust. in Figs. 22, 26, 107, 415, 480.) 



Genera 3, species CO. The sap of seycral species of th« 

 maple yields sugar by evaporation. 



1. Acer, Moench. Maple, (The ancient 



nanje, meaning sharp, vigorous.) Flowers 



,„ , i a 2; calvx 5 (4— 9)-clcft; corolla 5 



C34, Samara of Maple. u v + ) , \ / ^ 



