•290 Obdek 43.— RHAMNACE^. 



long, ^ as wide, acute or often rounded at base, on petioles J to 1' long. Ped, 

 opposite, slender, 1 to 2 J' long, eacli v/itli a cyme of 3 to G flowers. Cor. dark 

 purple, 4 to 6" diam. Caps, crimson, smooth. Sds. covered in a bright ro;I 

 aril. Jn, 



2 E. Americanns L. Bubnins Bush. Brandies smooth, 4-angled; Ivs. oval 

 and elHptic-lanceolale, subentire below, acuminate, acute or obttise at apex, smooth, 

 sessile or nearly so ; ped. round, about Z-flowered; fls. mostly pentamerous; caps, 

 verrucous. — Shrub of smaller size than the preceding, with small Ivs. in moist 

 woods, U. S. and Can. Lvs. 1 to 2' long, -J- as wide, coriaceous. Ped. slender, 



1, 2 or 4-flowered. Fls. a little larger than in No. 1, yellow and pink, the partii 

 rarely in Ss. Capsule dark red, warty. Sds. with a bright-red aril Jn. 



p. OBOTArtjB T. & G. Trailing and_ rooting; lvs. obovato-oval, rather pointed 

 or obtuse, acute and short-petiolato at base. Ohio, &o. (E. obovatus Nutt.) 



3 E. augustifolius Ph. Branches 4-sided; lvs. linear-lanceolate, inegmlateral 

 and subfalcate, acute at each end, obscurely serrate, almost sessile; pedicels 1 to 

 'i-flowered; Us. 5-merou3, pet. distinctly clawed. — Woods near Savannah, Ga. St. 

 decumbent. Branches regularly opposite, so that the plant appears like a bipin- 

 nate leaf. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, 3 to 6" wide, shaqjly acute; iis. as large as in No. 



2. Apr., May. 



4 E. Europaeus L. Lvs. oblong-lanceolate, serrate, glabrous ; ped. compressed, 

 3-flowered; fls. usually ietrandrous. — Native of Europe. A lumdsome shrub, 4 to 

 ]2f high, sometimes found in shrubberies, alUiough certainly not superior in ele- 

 gance to No. 1. May — Ji. f 



Order XLIII. RHAMNACE..E. Buckthorns. 



Shrubs or small trees, often spiny, with simple, alternate lvs. with flowers regular, 

 sometimes apetalous or otherwise imperfect; with the stamens perigyuous, as many 

 (4 or 6) as the valvate sepals, alternate with them, and opposite to the petals when 

 ihey are present Disk fleshy ; capsule or lerry with one albuminous seed in oftch 

 .•eU. 



Genera 42, specie.'^ 2j0, distributed throupbout nil oonntrles except those in the frigid zones. 

 Many are natives of V. S. Ceanothus is peculiar to N. Aiuciica. 



Pvopertief!. The berries of many species of Ilhaninus arc violent pur^tives. The ZizyphuB 

 'Jujuba 3'ic!d3 the well-known jujube paste of the shops, 'i'he leavch of Ceanothus have botn 

 used as a substitute for tc;v. 



Flowers clustered, axillary. Petals as long .is sepals or none li[iAMNC8 1 



Flowers clustered, terminal. Petals on long oxserted claws Ckanotuus 'i 



Flowers panicled, terminal. Petals as long as the sepals Eeeciiemia !i 



Flowers spicatc, terminal. Petals very minute Segkegati.4 4 



1. RHAMNUS, L. Buckthorn. (The Greek name.) Calyx urceo- 



late, 4 or 5-c!eft ; petals 4 or 5, notclied, lobed or entire, or somctimoR 

 wanting ; ovary free, not immersed in the thin torus, 2 to 4-cenod ; 

 btyles 2 to 4, more or le.ss united; drupe containing 2 to 4 cartilaginoi..'- 

 nuts. — Lvs. alternate, rarely opposite. Fls. in axillary clusters. 



§ Flowers tctraraerous. Loaves with arcuate veins Kos. h 'i 



§ Flowers pentamerous. Leaves with straighti^h vtinlets Nos. si \ 



1 R. cath^rtious L. TJiormj; lvs. ovate, denticulate-serrate; fls. fascicltn, 

 polyg;imo-dioeoious, mostly tetrandrous; sty. 4, ai apex distinct and recwved; Ir. 

 globular, 4-seeded. — Cultivated in liedges, and occasionally found wild in N. tnj.% 

 and N. Y. It is a shrub or tree 10 to ]5f high, spreading, with thorns termiu- 

 iinting the short branches. Lvs. somewhat opposite. 1 to 'i' long, g as wide, usu- 

 ally with an abrupt aoumination, and with 6 to 1 arcuate veirLS. Pedicels 3 to 4" 

 long, Fls. greenish. Petals inconspicuous, entire (sometimes ?), narrower tii.jj 

 the lanceolate sepals. Berries black, with a green juice, rathartic, and forming 

 with alum the pigment called sap green. 



