CELASTRACE^— STAFF-TREE FAMILY 



BURNING BUSH. WAAHOO. SPINDLE-TREE 



Endnruius atropiirpuirus. EvSuynius atyopurpU7-€us. 



Etionyiiius, derived from two Greek words, signifies good repute. 

 Atropuypitrcus, (\AxV purple, refers to tlie flower. 



Widely distributed. Usually a shrub six to ten feet high, becom- 

 ing a tree only in southern Arkansas and Indian Territory. Loves 

 the borders of woods ; prefers moist soil. Root fibrous. 



Bark. — Ashen gray, furrowed, scaly. Branchlets slender, dark, 

 purplish brown ; later become brownish gra\ . Bitter, drastic. 



Wood. — White, tinged with orange ; heavy, hard, close-grained. 

 Sp. gr., 0.6592 ; weight of cu. ft., 41.08 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Purple with glaucous bloom, small, acute. 



Leaves. — Opposite, entire, feather-veined, elliptical or ovate, two 

 to four inches long, one to two broad, pointed at l^ase, finely serrate, 

 acute; midvein and primary veins conspicuous. In autumn they 

 turn pale yellow. Petioles short, stout. Stipules minute, caducous. 



Flowers. — May, June. Perfect, dark purple, half an inch across, 

 borne in dichotomous, axillary, few-flowered cymes. Peduncles 

 slender. 



Calyx. — Four-lobed, lobes spreading, imbricate in bud. Disk 

 thick, fleshy, filling the tulDe of the calyx, four-lobed, adherent to 

 the ovary. 



Corolla. — Petals four, inserted on calyx under margin of disk, 

 dark purple, obovate, imbricate in bud ; niaigins often erose. 



.Stamens. — Four, alternate with the petals, inserted on the disk; 

 filaments very short; anthers in pairs, two-celled; cells opening 

 longitudinally. 



Pistil. — Ovary superior, surrounded by and adherent to the disk, 

 four-celled; style short ; stigma four-lobed; ovules one or two in 

 each cell. 



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