CHAP. VII. 



MENISPEIIMA CE2E. CO CCULUS. 



297 



Variety. 



J M. c. 2 lobdtum Dec. The lobed-\ea\ed Canadian Moonseed. M. 

 virgfnicum L. — This variety is distinguished by the angles of the 

 leaves being acutish, and the flowers of a greenish white. Figured 

 in DHL Elth., t. 178. fig. 219. 

 Geography, History ; Sfc. Found in North America, among bushes, on the 

 banks of rivers, and on fertile declivities, from Canada to Carolina; and also 

 indigenous in Siberia. It was cultivated, in 1713, by Bishop Compton ; and is 

 not unfrequent in British botanic gardens, and in our principal nurseries. It 

 will grow in any free, deep, and rather moist soil ; and, as it sends up nume- 

 rous shoots from its thick woody roots, it is easily propagated by dividing them, 

 or by layers made in autumn, which will root in one year. Both the male and 

 female plants are in Lee's Nursery ; and the male of the variety M. c. lobatum 

 is in the garden of the London Horticultural 

 Society. Price, of plants in the London nur- 

 series, Is. 6d. each ; at Bollwyller, 90 cents ; 

 in New York, 25 cents. 



-i 2. Menispe'rmum dau n ricum Dec. 

 The Daurian Moonseed. 



Identification. Dec. Prod., 1. p. 102. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 112. 

 Synonyme. Trilophus Ampelisagria Fisch. ; M. canadense 



var. /3 Lam. 

 Engravings. Deless. Icon., 1. 1 100. and our fig. 43. 

 Spec. Char. Leaves peltate, smooth, cordate, angular; 



angles acute, terminal one acuminated hardly mucronate. 



Racemes in pairs, capitulate. (Don's Mill., i. p. 112.) A 



twining shrub, resembling M. canadense, but smaller in 



all its parts, and, probably, only a variety of that species. 



Flowers yellowish. June and July. 1818. Found in 



Daiiria, on rocky hills near the river Chilca, and said to 



be introduced into England in 1818 ; but we have never 



seen it. 



$- 3. M. .smila'cinum Dee. The Smilax-like Moonseed. 



Identification. Dec. Syst, 1. p. 541. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 112. 



Synonyme. Cissampelos smilacina Lin. 



Engravings. Jacq. Icon., t. 629. ; Catesb. Carol., 1. t. 51. ; and our fig. 44. 



Spec. Char. Leaves. peltate, smoothish, cordate- roundish, bluntly 

 angular, under surface glaucous. Racemes simple. Petals 4. 

 (Don's Mill., i. p. 112.) A climbing shrub, with slender stalks, 

 and leaves resembling those of the common ivy. The flowers, 

 which appear in July and August, are white, and the berries 

 are red, about the size of small peas, and grow in clusters. 

 Found in Carolina by Catesby, and first described by him. It 

 was introduced into Britain in 1776, by Dr. Hope, then professor 

 of botany at Edinburgh. The plant is rather scarce in British 

 gardens ; and, when it is met with, it is generally in a green, 

 house; though there can be little doubt of its being half, 

 hardy. 



Genus II. 



J CO'CCULUS Bauh. The Cocculus. Lin. Syst. Dioe'cia Hexandria. 



Identification. Bauh. Pin., 511. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 96. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 104. 

 Synonymes. Menispermum L. ; Wendlandia Willd. ; Andr6philax Wendl. 



Derivation. From coccus, the systematic name of cochineal, which is applied to this genus on 

 account of the greater number of the species bearing scarlet berries. 



Gen. Char. Sepals and petals disposed in a ternary order, in 2, very rarely in 

 3 series. Male powers with 6 free stamens opposite the petals ; female ones 

 with 3 or 6 carpels. Drupes baccate, 1 to 6, usually obliquely reniform, 

 somewhat flattened, 1-seeded. Cotyledons distant. (Don's Mill,, i. p. 104.) 

 Description. This is a genus of climbing or twining shrubs, with peltate, 



cordate, ovate or oblong, entire, rarely lobed, leaves. Peduncles axillary, 



