ORD. XXIII. RHAMNEiE. — THE BUCKTHORN FAMILY 



Trees or shrubs, with simple leaves, minute stipules, and small 

 greenish flowers ; sepals 4 or 5, united, valvate ; petals 4 or 5, 

 inserted in the throat of the calyx, or absent ; stamens 4 or 5, 

 opposite the petals ; ovary superior or half superior, 2 — 4-cham- 



bered, surrounded by a 

 fleshy disk ; fruit fleshy 

 and indehiscent, or dry 

 and separating into three 

 divisions ; seeds one in 

 each chamber. Zizyphus 

 Lotus is reputed to have 

 been the food of the 

 ancient Lotus-eaters, the 

 Lotophagi mentioned by 

 Homer in the " Odyssey." 

 It is a prickly shrub 

 with numerons purplish 

 berries, of the size of sloes, 

 with mealy pulp of a de- 

 licious flavour, and large 

 stones. Other species of 

 this genus produce the 

 jujube, well known in 

 this country as a sweet- 

 meat. Z. spina-Christi 

 and Paliurus aculedtus, 

 prickly shrubs, common 

 in the East, are severally 

 believed by many persons 

 to have formed our 

 Blessed Saviour's crown 

 of thorns. The berries 

 of species of Rhdmnus 

 are used as dyes, in 

 making sap-green paint, 

 and in medicine, an ex- 

 tract of R. Purshidnus being considerably employed under the 

 name Cascara sagrada, " sacred bark " ; but they are too violent 

 and uncertain in their effects to be used with safety. Two species 

 of this genus are the only British representatives of the Order. 



1. RhAmnus (Buckthorn). — Shrubs or small trees; leaves 

 scattered ; flowers sometimes unisexual ; calyx urceolate ; fruit 



rhXmnus cathXrticus {Common £uckthorti). 



