Buckthorn Family. 2!) 



ILICINEAE Lowe. Hoi.i.v Family. 



Shrubs, with alternate petioled simple leaves, and small solitary or 

 clustered axillary polygamo-diuejious flowers. The principal genus in the 

 United States is Ilex L. 



I. verticillata (L.) A. Gray. Shrub 6-20 feet high: leaves oval, obovate to 

 obloug-lanceolate. pointed, serrate, turning black in autumn; flowers all 

 short pectuncled. in clusters or the fertile solitary. Reported from Mitchell 

 county by Arthur. 



RHAMXACEAE Dumort. Buckthorn Family. 



Small trees or shrubs, with simple alternate leaves, and regular some- 

 times apetalous flowers. Sepals 4-5. Petals 4-3, valvate in the bud. 

 Stamens 4 5, opposite to the petals and alternate with the sepals, in- 

 serted along with the petals into the edge of the fleshy disk which lines 

 the calyx and sometimes the ovary. Stigmas 2-5. Ovary 2-5-celled, 

 sessile; ovules solitary. 



Rhamncs. Calyx and disk free from the ovary: petals none or small and short clawed. 

 UBANOTHrs. Calyx and disk adherent to the base of the ovary : petals long clawed. 



F^HAMNUS L. Leaves pinnately veined. Flowers in axillary cluster-. 

 greenish. Calyx campanulate. 4-5-cleft, tube lined with the disk. Ovary 

 free, 2-4-celled: styles 2-t., Fruit a small berry-like drupe. 



r\. lanceolata Pursh. Buckthorn. A thornless shrub, 3-10 feet high: leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, serrulate, petioled: flowers appearing 

 closel\ T after the leaves, of two sorts on different individuals, one form in 

 short axillary clusters with a short included style, the other with often soli- 

 tary longer pedicels and exserted style: petals 4, minute, deeply notched, 

 sometimes not apparent; styles 2: fruit dark colored, 2-seeded. Upland 

 thickets: May: a frequent shrub, widely distributed over the southern half 

 of the state and extending far into the northern portion. 



r\. alnifolia LHer. A low shrub with oval acute serrate leaves: flowers 

 solitary or 2—3 together in the axils of the leaves, mostly dicecious, apetalous; 

 calyx-lobes 5; stamens 5. Reported from Winneshiek county. (Arthur.) 



CEANOThjUS L. Low shrubby plants, with white flowers in umbel-like 

 clusters. Calyx a-cleft, persistent, petaloid. Petals 5, longer than the calyx, 

 hooded. Stamens mostly exserted. Style 3-cleft. Capsule 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



C. americanus L. New Jersey Tea. Stems 1-3 feet high, from a dark red 

 root, branches slightlj 7 pubescent: leaves ovate. 3-ribbed, acuminate, serrate, 

 somewhat pubeseent: peduncles axillary and terminal, elongated. Upland 

 woods and prairies: June: common. 



C. ovatus Desf. Usually smaller than the preceeding: leaves oval-lanceo- 

 late or oblong, glandular serrate, peduncle short, pubescent. Prairies: May: 

 common: Story. Shelby, Decatur. Adams, Montgomery, and Pottawattomie 

 counties. Iowa specimens are more or less pubescent, the typical plant being 

 glabrous throughout, hence our specimens are usually referred to the var. 

 pubesa na T. & G. 



VITACEAE Lindl Grape Family. 



Climbing shrubs, with copious watery juice, nodose joints, climbing by 

 tendrils, alternate petioled leaves, and small regular greenish perfect or 

 polygamo-difucious flowers. Calyx entire or 4-5-toothed. Petals 4-5, 

 caducous. Stamens 4-5, opposite the petals. Ovary 2-celled. Fruit a 

 2-celled 2 4-seeded berry. 



