POLYGALACEAE (MILKWORT FAMILY) 



87 



ZANTHOXYLUM 



Shrubs or trees with pinnate leaves, small greenish flowers 

 and thickened fleshy pods. 



Z. americanum, Prickly Ash. An aromatic shrub ; 

 leaflets 2 to 4 pairs, downy when young ; flowers yel- 

 lowish-green, appearing before the leaves in sessile, 

 umbellate clusters ; calyx none ; petals 4, S ; pistils 

 3 to S. forming fleshy pods. Rocky woods and river 

 banks. April, May. 



PTELEA 



Shrubs with trifoliolate leaves and greenish- 

 white, small flowers in terminal flat-shaped clus- 

 ters. 3 to S sepals and the same number of petals. 

 Fruit nearly orbicular, winged all round (a 

 samara). 



Zanthoxylum 

 americanum, 

 Prickly ash. 



P. trifoliata. Hop Tree. A tall shrub, with ovate, pointed leaflets, 

 downy when young. The bitter fruit is used as a substitute for hops. 

 Rocky places. June. 



POLYGALACEAE (Milkwort Family) 



Herbs with simple, entire leaves, very 

 irregular flowers, and diadelphous or 

 monadelphous stamens. Anthers opening 

 at the top, and fruit a 2-seeded pod. 



POLYGALA 



Ptelea trifoliata. Hop tree. Calyx of 5 sepals, 3 of which are small 



and the other 2 much larger, and colored 

 like the petals. Petals 3, connected with each other and with the 

 stamen-tube, the middle one keel-shaped. Stamens 6 or 8, their 

 filaments united into a split sheath or into 2 sets. 



P. Senega, Seneca Snakeroot. Stems from thick, knotty root- 

 stocks, simple, reaching 3 dm. in height; leaves lanceolate, with rough 



