( 474 .) 
RU'SCUS * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Dke'cIA f , Tria'ndria +. 
Natural Order. Smila'cEzE, Dr. R. Brown. — Lindl. Syn. p. 
270. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 277. — Loud. Hort. Brit, 
p. 538. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 286. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th edit.) 
p. 423. — Lilia'cEzE, Loud. Encycl. of Trees and Shrubs, p. 1099. — 
Asparagines, Rich, by Macgill. p. 402. — Asparagi, Juss. Gen. 
PI. p. 40. — Sm. Grant, of Bot. p. 71. — Liliales ; sect. Liliacins ; 
type, SmilacEzE ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. i. pp. 418, 425, & 436. — 
SarmentacezE, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Sterile Flower. Calyx inferior, of 3 spreading, 
egg-shaped sepals. Corolla of 3 spreading petals, smaller than the 
sepals. Nectary central, egg-shaped, tumid, upright, coloured, 
undivided, as long as the calyx ; pervious at the summit. Fila- 
ments none. Anthers 3, spreading, seated on the top of the 
nectary ; combined at the base. — Fertile Flower (see figs. 1 & 2). 
Calyx (fig. 2, a.) ; Corolla (fig. 2, 6.) ; Nectary (fig. 2, c.) ; as in 
the sterile flowers. Anthers none, or imperfect. Germen (fig. 3.) 
superior, oblong-egg-shaped, concealed in ihe nectary (fig. 4). 
Style (see fig. 3.) short and thick. Stigma blunt, prominent 
through the orifice of the nectary (see fig. 2, d). Berry (fig. 5.) 
superior, globular, succulent, of 3 cells (see fig. 6). Cells 2- 
(sometimes only 1) seeded. Seeds (fig. 7.) nearly globular, hard. 
The calyx of 3 sepals; the corolla of 3 petals; the tubular 
nectary , (combined filaments ?) with or without anthers ; the single 
style; and the superior, globose berry, with 3, 2-seeded cells; 
will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. 
One species British. 
RU'SCUS ACULFzA'TUS. Prickly Butcher’s Broom. Common 
Butcher’s Broom. Knee Holly. Box Holly. Knee Holme. Wild 
Myrtle. Prickly Pettigree. Knee Hulver. 
Spec. Char. Stem rigid, branched. Leaves egg-shaped, sharp- 
pointed, very rigid and pungent, bearing the solitary flower on their 
upper surface, without a leaflet. 
Engl. Bot. t. 560. — Woodv. Med. Bot. suppl. t. 237. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1474. — 
Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed. ) p. 437.— Willd. Sp. l’l. v. iv. pt. li. p. 874.— Sm. FI. 
Brit. v. iii. p. 1073.; Engl. FI. v. iv. p. 235. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 92. — Gray’s 
Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 189. — Lindl. Syn. p. 271. ; 2nd edit. p. 270. — Hook Brit FI. 
p. 434 , — Maer. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 234. — Loud. Arb. et Frutic. Brit, v. iv. p. 2518. ; 
fig. 2387. ; Encycl of Trees and Shrubs, p. 1099. fig. 2060. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 
22. — llook. FI. Scot. p. 288. — Kelh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 412. — Phil. Sylva FI. 
v. ii. p. 309. — Kent's Sylvan Sket. p. 61. — FI. Devon, pp. 159 & 129. — Winch’s 
FI. of Northumbl. and Durh. p. 64. — W’alker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 294. — Bab. Prim. 
FI. Sam. p. 94. — Irv. Loud. FI. p. 107. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 84. — Cow. FI. Guido, 
p. 45 . — Gulliv. PI. of Banb. p. 20. — Beesley’s Hist, of Banb. p. 590. — Buscus, 
Ray’s Syn. p. 262. — Johns. Ger. p. 907, with fig. — Bauh. Hist. v. i. p. 579, with 
fig. ; Bauh. Pin. p. 470. — Butcher's Broom, Petiv. II. Brit. t. 44. f. 4. 
Fig. 1. A Leaf, with its Flower.— Fig. 2. A Fertile Flower; a, a Sepal ; b, a 
Fetal ; c. Nectary ; d. Stigma. — Fig. 3. Germen, Style, and Stigma.— Fig. 4. 
Nectary. — Fig. 5. A Leaf and Ripe Berry. — Fig. 6. Section of a Berry.— Fig.7. 
A Seed. 
* Anciently Bruscus from Beuskalen, in Celtic, Box-Holly. 
See lol. 143, note t. X Sec fol. 40, note •(. 
