XXII. RHAMNA CEE: RHAMNUS. 171 
green ; feather-nerved ; the stipules never converted into prickles. Flowers 
axillary, aggregate, often unisexual. Fruit not eatable, generally black, 
rarely red or yellow. ) 
Deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with the tips of their branches often be- 
coming spines. One or two species have the habit of low trees, and some of 
them are sub-procumbent or procumbent ; all of them, except the latter, being 
distinguished by an upright stiff mode of growth, and numerous strong thorns 
in their wild state; whence the name of ram, or buck, thorn. The flowers 
in all the species are inconspicuous; but A. Alatérnus and its varieties are 
most valuable evergreen shrubs, and several of the other species are orna- 
mental, both from their foliage and their fruit ; the latter of which is also 
useful in dyeing. All the species are easily propagated by seeds or layers, and 
most of them by cuttings ; and they will all grow in any soil that is dry. They 
all vary much in magnitude by culture, in common with most plants which, in 
a wild state, grow in arid soils. 
§ i. Marcorélla Neck. 
Synonymes. Rhamnous and Alatérnus of Tourn. 
Sect. Char. Flowers usually dicecious, and 5-cleft. Fruit a berry, with 3 
seeds, or, from abortion, 2 seeds. Seeds deeply furrowed, with the raphe 
in the bottom of the furrow. Leaves usually permanent; coriaceous, and 
glabrous. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 23.) 
A. ALATE’RNUs Tourn. Flowers racemose, 5-cleft, Evergreen Shrubs. 
# 1, R. ALate’RNus L. The Alaternus. S 
Identification. Lin. Spec., 281.; Dec. Prod., 2. p.23.; Don’s 
Mill, 2. p. 30. 
Synonymes. Alatérnus Phillfrea Mill. Dict. No. 1.; Alaterna, Ital, 
Dertvation. From alternus,a generic name adopted from Dios- 
corides, designating the alternate position of the leaves. 
Engravings. Mill. Dict., t. 16. f. 1.; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 42. ¢. 14.5 
and our fig. 245. 
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves ovate-elliptical, or lance- 
olate, coriaceous, quite smooth, serrated. Flowers 
dicecious, disposed in short racemes. (Don’s Mill.) fi 
An evergreen shrub. South of Europe and 
North of Africa. Height 10 ft. to 20 ft. Intro- 
duced in 1629. Flowers green, without any corolla ; 
April to June. Berry black ; ripe in October. j 
Varieties. 245. Rhamnus Alatérnus 
« R.A. 2 baleérica Hort. Par. The Rhamonus rotundifolius of Du- 
mont. — Leaves roundish. We take this as the first variety, assuming 
the species to be what is called 2. 
A, latifolia, which is the commonest 
variety in British nurseries. 
# R. A. 3 hispdnica Hort. Par. (Our fig. ¢ 
246.) — Leaves ovate, a little toothed. ¢ 
= R. A. 4 angustifolia. R. Clisii Willd. 
(Mill. Icon., t. 16. fig. 2.; and our 
Jig. 247.) Leaves long and narrow.— 
This variety is so distinct, that it is by 
many authors considered as a species. 
It is of remarkably rapid growth. 
There are two subvarieties of it, the 
gold-striped, and the silver-striped ; 
both of remarkably free growth. 
 R. A. 5 foliis maculatis.—Leaves blotched with yellow. 
uz R A.anquttata. ® R. A. 6 foliis atreis,— Leaves edged with yellow. 
246. R.A. hispAnien. 
