290 Obdee 43.— RHAMNACB^. 



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

 opposite, slender, 1 to 2 J', long, each with a cyme of 3 to 6 flowers. Cor. dark 

 purple, 4 to 5" diam. Caps, crimson, smooth. Sds. covered in a bright red 

 aril.' Jn. 



2 B. Amerioaniis L. Buenins Bush. Branches smooth, 4-angled; Ivs. oval 

 cmd eUipiiolanceolate, subentire below, acuminate, acute or obtuse 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, §■ as wide, coriaceous. Fed. slender, 



1, 2 or 4-fiowered. Fls. a little larger than in No. I, yellow and pink, the parts 

 rarely in 3s. Capsule dark red, warty. Sds. with a bright-red aril. Jn. 



/3. OEOVATns T. & G. Trailing and rooting; lvs. obovate-oval, rather pointed 

 or obtuse, acute and short-petiolate at base. Ohio, &c. (B. obovatus Nutt.) 



3 B. augustif61ius Ph. Branches 4-sided; lvs. linear-lanceolate, inequilateral 

 and subfaloate, amte at each end, obscurely serrate, almost sessile ; pedicels 1 to 

 Z-flowered; fls. 5-merous, 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 5" wide, sharply acute; fls. as large as in No. 



2. Apr., May. 



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

 3-flowered; fl^. usually tetrandrous. — Native of Europe. A handsome shrub, 4 to 

 12f high, sometimes found in shrubberies, although certainly not superior in ele- 

 gance to No. 1. May — Jl. f 



Order XLIII. RHAMNACE^E. Buckthorns. 



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

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

 (4 or 5) as the valvate Bepals, alternate with them, and opposite to the petals when 

 they are present. Disk fleshy ; capsule or ierry with one albuminous seed in each 

 cell. 



Genera 42, species 250, diBtributed thronghont all countries except those In the frigid zones. 

 Many are Datives of U. S. Ceanothus is peculiar to N. America. 



Properties. The berries of many species of Rhamnus are violent pureatives. The Zizyphns 

 J^jubayields the well-known jujaoe paste of the shops. The leaves of Ceanothus have been 

 used OS a substitute for tea. 



aENEKA. 



-Flowers clustered, axillary. Petals as long as sepals or none Ehamntis 1 



Flowers clustered, terminal. Petals on long exserted claws Ceanothus 3 



Flowers panicled, terminal. Petals as long as the Bepals Bbbcueuia 8 



Flowers spicate, terminal. Petals very minute Skoeegatia 4 



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

 late, 4 or 6-cleft ; petals 4 or 5, notched, lobed or entire, or sometimes 

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

 styles 2 to .4, more or le^s united; drupe containing 2 to 4 cartilaginous 

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



§ Flowers tetramerous. Leaves with arcuate veins ' Nos. 1,2 



§ Flowers pentamerous. Leaves with straightish veinlets Nos. 8,4 



1 R. cathdrticus L. Thorny; lvs. ovate, denticulate-serrate; fls. fascicled; 

 polygamo-dioecious, mostly tetrandrous; sty. 4, at apex distinct and recurved; ft. 

 globular, 4-seeded. — Cultivated in hedges, and occasionally found wild in N. Eng. 

 aiid N. T. It is a shrub or tree 10 to 15f high, spreading, with thorns termin- 

 nating the short branches. Lvs. somewhat opposite. 1 to 2' long, f as wide, usu- 

 ally with an abrupt acumination, and with 6 to 7 arcuate veina Pedicels 3 to 4" 

 long. Fls. greenish. Petals inconspicuous, entire (sometimes 0?), narrower than 

 the lanceola;te sepals. Berries black, with a green juice, cathartic, and forming 

 with alum the pigment called sap green. 



