DICOTTLEDONES. 209 



mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. They are of little 

 use except for ornament. The commonest in cultivation 

 are the Honeysuckle {Lonicera), Snowberries {Symphori- 

 carpus), Bush-Honeysuckles {Diervilla), the Snowball 

 {Viburnum), Weigelia from Japan, etc. The berries of 

 the Elder {Sambucus) are sometimes used for making pies, 

 jellies, wine, etc. The beautiful lAnnwa borealis, which 

 was a favorite of, and dedicated to, the immortal Linnseus, 

 belongs to this family. 



194. The Polypetalae, or Choripetalae, are Dicoty- 

 ledonous, or Exogenous plants, whose flowers generally 

 have both sepals and petals, the latter not connately 

 united, but separate. Of this group the following families 

 are interesting or important : 



1. Cornaceae. The Dogwood family comprises but 

 seventy-five species, mainly in the North Temperate Zone. 

 They have simple leaves, and an adherent calyx, whose 

 limb is minute. The wood of the Flowering Dogwood 

 {Cornus florida) is hard and fine-grained, and sometimes 

 used as a substitute for box-wood. Many species, of Cor- 

 nus are ornamental plants. The wood of the Sour-Gum 

 (Nysaa multiflora) is much used for .hubs for wagon-wheels, 

 being difiicult to split. 



2. Araliaceae. The Ginseng family ; three hundred 

 and forty species ; mostly tropical ; shrubs or trees, rarely 

 herbs. Leaves alternate, compound ; fruit a berry, or 

 drupe. The European Ivy {Hedera Helix) and Aralia 

 spinosa are common in cultivation as ornamental plants. 

 The root of Ginseng {Aralia guinquefolia) of the United 

 States is medicinal. The pith of Aralia papyri/era of 

 China is cut into thin sheets, pressed fiat, and forms the 

 Chinese rice-paper. 



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