6l2 FLORA. 



i. Berchemia scandens (Hill) Trel. SuPFLE-jACK. (T. F. f. 2390.) A 

 glabrous high-climbing shrub, with tough terete brandies. Leaves ovate or ovate- 

 oblong, 2.5-5 tin - l° n k r - 1.25-2.5 cm - wide, obtuse or somewhat truncate at the 

 base, dark green above, paler beneath, their margins undulate; flowers about 

 } nun. broad, mainly in small terminal panicles; petals acute; styles short; drupe 

 6-8 mm. long, equalling or shorter than its slender pedicel, its stone crustaceous 

 In low woods, Va. to Ha., Ky., Mo. and Tex. March-June. 



2. RHAMNUS L. 



Shrubs or small trees, with pinnately veined and (in our species) deciduous 

 eaves, and small axillary pymose racemose or paniculate, perfect or polygamous 

 il wers. Calyx-tube urceolate, its limb 4-5 -toothed. Petals 4 or 5, mainly emargin- 

 ate and hooded, or none. Disk free from the 3-4-celled ovary. Style 3-4-cleft. 

 Drupe berry-like, containing 2-4 nutlet-like stones. Seeds mainly obovoid; endo- 

 sperm fleshy. [The ancient Greek name.] About 75 species, of temperate and 

 warm regions. Besides the following, some 6 others occur in western N. Am. 



Flowers dioecious or polygamous; nutlets grooved. 

 Petals present; flowers mainly 4-merous. 



Leaves broadly ovate; branches thorny; drupe with 3 or 4 nutlets. 



1. R. cat hart tea. 

 Leaves ovate-lanceolate; drupe with 2 nutlets. 2. R. lanceolata. 



Petals none; flowers 5-merous; drupe with 3 nutlets. 3. R. alnifolia. 



Flowers perfect; nutlets smooth. 



Umbels peduncled; leaves acute; calyx campanulate. 4. R. Caroliniana. 



Umbels sessile; leaves obtuse; calyx hemispheric. 5. R. Frangula. 



i. Rhamnus cathartica L. Buckthorn. (I. F. f. 2391.) A shrub, 2-6 m. 

 high. Leaves glabrous, petioled, 4-8 cm. long, about 2.5 cm. wide, regularly 

 crenate or crenulate, with 3 or 4 pairs of veins, the upper running nearly to the 

 apex; flowers greenish, about 2 mm. wide, clustered, unfolding a little later than 

 the leaves; petals very narrow; drupe globose, black, about 8 mm. in diameter. In 

 dry soil, escaped from hedges, N. E., the Middle States and Ont. Introduced from 

 Europe. May-June. 



2. Rhamnus lanceolata Pursh. Lance-leaved Buckthorn. (I. F. f. 

 2392.) A tall shrub, with grayish bark. Leaves short-petioled, 2.5-8 cm. long, 

 I.25 2.5 cm. wide, glabrous or nearly so above, more or less pubescent beneath, 

 finely serrulate; veins 6 or 7 pairs; flowers 2 or 3 together, greenish, about 3 mm. 

 broad, appearing with the leaves; pedicels 2-4 mm. long; drupe black, about 

 6 mm. in diameter, obovoid-globose. In moist soil, Penn. to Iowa, Neb., Ala. and 

 Tex. May. 



3. Rhamnus alnifolia L ? Her. Alder-leaved Buckthorn. Dwarf Alder. 

 (I. F. f. 2393.) A small shrub. Leaves oval to elliptic. 5-10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm - 

 wide, mainly acute at the base, irregularly crenate-serrate; veins 6 or 7 pairs; 

 petioles 6-12 mm. long; flowers solitary or 2-3 together, green, about 3 mm. broad, 

 appearing with the leaves; fruiting pedicels 6-8 mm. long; drupe globose or some- 

 what obovoid, alxmt 6 mm. in diameter. In swamps, N. B. to Br. Col., N. J., 111., 

 Neb., Mont, and Cal. May-June. 



4. Rhamnus Caroliniana Walt. Carolina Buckthorn. (I. F. f. 2394.) 

 A tall shrub, or small tree. Leaves elliptic or broadly oblong, glabrous, or some- 

 what hairy on the vein-, beneath. 5 15 cm. long, 2.5-6.5 cm. wide, obscurely ser- 

 rulate or even entire; veins 6 [O pairs; petioles [.2— Z.8 cm. long; (lowers 5-merous, 

 greenish, about 2 mm. broad, in umbels or solitary, unfolding alter the leaves; 

 calyx-lobes lanceolate, acuminate; petals present; drupe globose, sweet, about 8 mm. 

 in diameter. In wel soil, Va, and Ky. to Kans., Fla. and Tex. May-June. 



5. Rhamnus Frangula L. ALDER BUCKTHORN. (I. F. 1". 2395;) A shrub, 

 the young twigs finely and sparsely puberulent Leaves thin, elliptic or obovate, 

 entire or very obscurely t reiiulate, glabrous 00 both surfaces, 4-7 cm. long, 2.5- 



4 cm, wide; petioles \ 8 mm. loni^; umbels 1 -6-flowered; flowers 5-merous; calyx- 

 lobes ovate, acute; fruiting pedicels 4-IO mm. long; fruit 6 «S mm. in diameter. 

 In bogs, L. I. and N. J. Reported from 1 »nt. Nat. from Europe. May-June. 



