100 THE BUCKTHORN FAMILY. [ Bhatt. 
few prominent veins, obliquely diverging from the midrib, and mostly pro- 
ceeding from below the middle. Flowers dicecious, very small, usually 
thickly clustered in the axils of the leaves. Petals 4, very narrow, and not 
longer than the teeth of the calyx. Fruit black, about the size of a pea. 
In hedges and bushy places, extending over Kurope, Russian Asia, and 
cultivated in North America, but not an Arctic species. Not abundant in 
England or Ireland, and very rare, if native, in Scotland. 7%. spring or 
early summer. 
2. R. Frangula, Linn. (fig. 225). Alder Buckthorn.—A wore erect 
shrub thay &. Catharticus, not thorny, the leaves broader and more obtuse, 
entire or slightly sinuate, having sometimes a minute down on the under 
side, and the lateral veins more numerous, diverging equally from the midrib 
almost the whole of its length. Flowers 2 or 3 together in each axil, 
all hemaphrodite; the minute petals, the teeth of the calyx, and the stamens, 
in fives. Fruit dark purple, the size of a pea. 
In hedges and bushy places, throughout Europe and Russian Asia, except 
the extreme north. In Britain rather more frequent than R. catharticus, 
but still rare in Scotland and Ireland. #7. spring or early summer. 
(s] 
The Sumachs of our shrubberies (species of Rhus) belong to the large 
family of Terebinthacee, widely spread over the temperate and hotter regions 
of the globe, but unrepresented in Britain. They are usually shrubs or trees, 
with mostly compound leaves, small regular flowers, definite stamens, 
inserted under a perigynous disc, quite free from the ovary, and no albumen 
in the seed. 
XXV. PAPILIONACEA. THE PEAFLOWER TRIBE. 
(A Tribe of the Leguminous family, or Leguminosae.) 
Herbs, shrubs, or trees; the leaves alternate (or, in a few 
exotic genera, opposite), usually furnished with stipules, simple 
or more frequently compound ; the leaflets either pinnately or 
digitately arranged on their common stalk. Flowers in axillary 
or terminal racemes or spikes, rarely solitary. Sepals combined 
into a single calyx, more or less divided into 5 or fewer teeth 
or lobes. Corolla very irregular, consisting of 5 petals; the 
upper one, called the standard, is outside of all in the bud, and 
usually the broadest; the two lateral ones, called wings, are 
between the standard and the two lower ones, which are inside 
of all, and united more or less by their outer edge into a single 
one called the keel ; the claws of all five petals remaining free. 
Stamens 10, the filaments in the British species either mona- 
delphous, all united in a sheath round the ovary, or diadelphous, 
when the upper one is free and the other nine united in a 
sheath. Ovary single, 1-celled, with 1, 2, or more ovules ar- 
ranged along the inner or upper angle (the one next the ated ancl 
