
BUCKTHORN FAMILY, Rhamnaceae. 
BUCKTHORN FAMILY. Rhamnaceae. 
A large family; shrubs, or small trees, of temperate and 
warm regions, some with bitter, astringent properties, 
often thorny; leaves mostly alternate; stipules minute; 
flowers often in showy clusters, small, regular; calyx-lobes 
and stamens four or five; petals usually four or five, some- 
times lacking, with claws. The short calyx-tube is lined 
with a fleshy disk and on this are borne the petals and the 
stamens, alternate with the sepals and opposite the petals, 
with swinging anthers. In some cases, some of the flowers 
have only pistils or only stamens. The ovary superior or 
partly inferior; the fruit a berry or capsule. 
There are many kinds of Ceanothus, largely western; 
flowers small, blue or white, in clusters; calyx bell-shaped, 
five-lobed, with a colored, petal-like border; petals five, 
the tips arching to form a tiny hood, with long claws; 
stamens five, long, protruding, with threadlike filaments; 
ovary partly inferior; style three-cleft; capsule splitting 
open elastically so as to scatter the three, hard nutlets, 
The flowers make a soapy lather when rubbed in water, 
hence the name Soap-bush, and the kinds with rigid 
branches are called Buckbrush. Red-root is another name, 
Mountain Lilac is the commonest name, but misleading. 
Lilacs belong to another family. 
This decorative shrub is common in the 
Sierras and carpets the forest floor with a 
rich green, leafy mat, sprinkled with 
Squaw Carpets, 
-Mahala Mats 
Ceanothus 
prostratus small, feathery clusters of blue flowers. 
Blue The trailing stems are clothed with 
Spring, summer 
Cal., Oreg. leathery leaves, opposite and very glossy, 
and the little flowers are deep purplish- 
blue, with yellow stamens, and slightly scented. These 
plants are equally attractive late in the season when the 
flowers are replaced by scarlet seed-vessels, with three horns. 
A fine shrub, two to twelve feet high, 
Se with stout trunk and branches, easily 
Mountain Lilac : ; : 7 
Counties recognized by its leaves, which are rich 
velitinus green, thick and resinous, shiny as if 
White varnished on the upper side and some- 
veces: aa) times rich chocolate-brown in color, but 
Ariz. 3 A ‘ 
pale on the under side, with three, con- 
282 
Snow Brush, 

