Order 38.— ANACARDIACB^. 283 



excessively pungent in taste. May. — The cone-like -warts on the bark of the 

 larger trees are very curious. 



4. PTELEA, L. Shrub Trefoil. (Gr. TrreXea, the elm troo ; from 

 the resemblance of the fruits.) ? 8 ? . Sepals 3 to 6, mostly 4, much 

 shorter than the spreading petals ; $ stamens longer than the petals 

 and alternate with them, very short and imperfect in ? ; ovary of 2 

 united carpels ; styles united, short or ; stigmas 2 ; fruit 2-celled, 2- 

 seeded samarse, with, a broad, orbicular margin. — Shrubs with 3 to 5- 

 foliate Ivs. Fls. cymous. 



P. trifpli^ta L. Lvs. 3-foliate, Ifts. sessile, ovate, short-acuminate, lateral ones 

 inequilateral, terminal ones cuneate at base ; cymes corymbous ; stam. mostly 4 ; 

 sty. short. — An ornamental shrub, 6 to 8f high, West. States, rare in W. jST. Tork. 

 Lfts. 3 to 4J' by IJ to If, the ped. rather longer. Fls. white, odorous, nearly J' 

 diam. Samara nearly 1' diam. 



5. AILANTUS, Desf. Chinese " Tree-oe-Heaven." (From the 

 Chinese name, Ailanio.) ¥ t^ J Sepals 5, more or less united at base; 

 petals 5 ; ^ stamens 2 to 3 ; ovaries 3 to 5 ; styles lateral ; fruit 1- 

 celled, 1-seeded samarse, with oblong margins ; $ stamens 10 ; ? ova- 

 ries, styles and samaras as in ^ . — Oriental trees and shrubs with pin- 

 nate lvs. Fls. in panicles. 



A. glanduldsa Desf. Lvs. glabrous, unequally pinnate, lfts. ovate or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, shortly petiolate, with one or two obtuse, glandular teeth 

 each side at base, terminal one long-petiolate. — A tree of large dimensions, and 

 with luxuriant foliage. Trunk straight, with a smooth, brown bark. , Lvs. 3 to 

 5f in length, with 10 to 20 pairs of leaflets, and an odd one. Hs. in terminal 

 panicles, green, very ill-scented, rendering the tree a nuisance when in bloom 

 (May and June). The rapid growth of this tree is its only recommendation aa a 

 tenant of our parks. 



Order XXXVIII. ANACARDIACE^. Sumachs. 



Trees or shrubs, with a resinous, gummy, caustic, 

 or even milky juice. Leaves alternate, simple or 

 ternate, or unequally pinnate, without pellucid 

 dots. Fls. terminal or axUlary, with bracts, com- 

 monly dioecious, small. Sepals 3 to 5, united at 

 base, persistent. Petals of the same number, 

 (sometimes 0), imbricated. Stamens as many as 

 petals, alternate with them, distinct or coherent, 

 and perigynous. OvarT/ 1-celled, free. Ovule one. 

 Styles 3 or 0. Stigmas 3. Fruit a berry or drupe, 

 usually the latter, and 1-seeded. AlbuTnen 0. 



Genera 43, species 100, chiefly natives of tropical 

 regions, represented in tho U. H. by tlie genus lilins 

 only. 

 Properties, — Tliese plants abound in a resinous juice, 

 <)31, Rlius, leaf and panicle. 2. A stam- which is poisonous, but is used as an indelible ink in 

 iiiate flower. 3. SeoUon of a fertile flower, marking linen, and as an ingredient in varnish. Even 



the exnalaiions from some of the species arc deemed 

 poisonous. The Cashew nut is the product of a small tree of both Indies. When fresh the ker- 

 nel is full of a milky juice, and has a most delicious taste, but the coats are iilled with a caus- 

 tic oil which blisters the skin and kills warts. 



RHUS, L. Sumac. (The ancient name, from Celtic, Mwrfi, red?). 

 Calyx of 3 sepals united at base ; petals and stamens 5 ; styles 3, stig- 

 mas capitate ; fruit a small, 1-seeded, subglobous, dry drupe. — Small 



