MENISPEBMACEiE. 15 



8epals 3 to 4, persistent, usually partly cohering. Petals G, in 2 rows, valvate, 

 hypogynous coriaceous. Stamens indefinite, densely crowded, covering a largo 

 hypogynous disk ; filaments short; anthers adnate. Ovaries numerous, closely 

 packed; styles short; stigma simple. Fruit dry or succulent, consisting of a 

 number of carpels in a mass, sometimes fleshy or pulpy. Seeds anatropous. 



ASIMINA, Adam. Papaw. 



Name from Asiminier, of the French colonists. 



Sepals 3, united at the base. Petals 6, in 2 rows, 

 spreading, ovate-oblong; inner ones smallest. Stamens 

 numerous in a globular mass. Pistils few, forming large 

 and oblong pulpy several-seeded fruits. — Shrubs or small 

 trees, with alternate entire leaves emitting an unpleasant odor 

 when bruised, and dull colored axillary and solitary flowers. 



1. A. triloba. Torr & Gr. Papaiu. Custard Apple. 



Lea ves oblong, crenate, acuminate, and with the branches smoothish; flowers 

 on short peduncles; outer petals roundish-ovate, 3 or 4, as long as the calyx. 



Banks of streams. Along the Susquehanna. April and May. A small tree, 10 

 to 20 feet high. Flowers solitary, lateral, appearing in advance of the leaves, dark 

 brownish purple, 1 to 2 inches wide. Fruit about 1 inch thick, and 3 inches long, 

 ovoid-oblong, 8-seeded, yellowish, fragrant; eatable, ripe in October. 



Order 4. MENISPEMACE2E, 



Shrubs twining or clinihing, with palmate or peltate, alternate, entire, simple leaves ; 

 Jiaving small, usually polygamo-diacious fioivers in panicles or racemes ; sepals and 

 petals confounded in one or several roivs, each of which is composed of 3 or 4 parts ; 

 deciduous. 



Stamens distinct or monodelphous, equal to the number of the petals and oppo 

 pitc to them; or 3 or 4 times as many. Anthers adnate. Ovaries usually" 

 solitary, sometimes 2 to 4 each with one style, distinct, or rarely united. Fkuit & 

 drupe, globose-reniform. Seeds bent into a crescent or ring ; embryo curved like 

 the seed; albumen sparing. 



MENISPERMUM. Linn. Moonseed. 



Gr. mene, the moon; spcrma, seed; from the creccent form of the seed. 



Sepals and petals arranged in fours, 2 or 3 rowed. 

 Sterile Fl. stamens 12 to 20. Fertile Fl. pistils 2 to 

 4. Drupe berried, roundish, reniform, with a single lunate 

 nut or seed. — Sterile and fertile flowers often dissimilar. 



1. M. Canadense, L. Moonseed. 



Stem climbing ; leaves peltate, the petioles inserted near the base, roundish cor- 

 date, obtusely angled, mucronate ; panicles axillary ; petals 4 to 8 small. 



Banks of streams. July. Boat Per. Stem round, 8 to 12 feet long. Leaves 4 to 5 

 inches in diameter, generally 5 angled, smooth, paid beneath, on petioles 3 to J 

 inches long. Flowers in axillary clusters, email, yellow, tinged with purpl#. 

 Ikrrics black, resembling grapes. 



Yar. lobatum., has the leaves lobed. 



