194 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



33. RUE FAMILY. Order, Rutace^. 



Herhs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves strong-scented, sharp- 

 tasted, exstipulate, dotted Avith transparent dots like punc- 

 tures, filled with aromatic, acrid, volatile oil. Foioers reg- 

 ular, segments 3 or 5, hypogynous, perfect, or polygamous. 

 Stamens on the receptacle (hypogynous), as many or twice 

 as many as the petals. Pistils 2 to 5, separate or combined 

 into a compound ovary with as many cells, sessile or raised 

 on a stipe (gynophore) ; styles mostly cohering. Fruit, 

 a pod, or separating into its component 1- or 2-seeded 

 carpels. 



Trees or shrubs. Stamens 3 or 5, only as many as the 

 petals. Floiuers dioecious, 2 to 5, making fleshy pods with 

 two black seeds. Leaves pinnate ; stems prickly. 



Zanthoxylum. Prickly Ash. 



Flotvers polygamous. Pistil one, making a 2- celled, 

 2-seeded key, winged all round. Leaflets 3. Stems not 

 prickly. Ptelea. ITop Vine, 



ZANTHOXYLUM. Prickly Ash. 



Flowers monoecious or diocoaus. Sepals and petals 3-5 ; 

 ovaries ; 2-5 sessile or stipulate, 2-ovuled. Carpels 

 2-valved ; 1-2-seeded. Seed smooth and shining. Trees 

 or shrubs, commonly armed with stipular prickles. Leaves 

 unequally pinnate, the leaflets punctate with pellucid 

 dots. Flowers small, greenish. 



Z. Caroliniakum, Lam. {Toothache Tree.) Smooth, 

 the branches armed with prickles. Leaves 7-9 foliolate, 

 alternate ; leaflets ovate-lanceolate, crenate-serrulate, un- 

 equal-sided. 



Z. Florid ANUM, Nutt. {Sati^i Wood.) Branches and 

 petioles unarmed. Leaflets 5-7, ovate-lanceolate on the 



