TIIK HIIAMNUS, OR BUCKTHORN. 
4 GO 
IUiamnus alpinus (the Alpine Buckthorn) 
is a small erect-growing deciduous shrub, with 
oval lanceolate, crenate-serrated leaves, which 
are curiously twisted. It grows six or eight 
feet in height, and is from the Alps of Switzer- 
land, Dauphine, and Carniola. 
Rhamnus amygdalinus (the almond-like 
Buckthorn), not yet introduced, is a dwarf 
species, growing in the north of Africa ; it 
grows in the fissures of rocks. 
Rhamnus huxifolius (the bos -leaved 
Buckthorn) is a deciduous shrub, allied to 
It. oleoides. It has ovate, smooth, entire leaves, 
and grows to the height of three feet. 
Rhamnus carolinianus (the Carolina 
Buckthorn) is an erect shrub, of deciduous 
habit, with oval, oblong, entire smooth leaves. 
It attains six feet in height, and is found in 
the woods and swamps of Virginia and 
Carolina. 
Rliamnus catharticus (the purging Buck- 
thorn) grows twelve or fifteen feet high, 
assuming the character of a large deciduous 
shrub, or low tree, with somewhat spiny 
branches. The leaves are ovate, toothed, and 
of a bright green colour. The flowers are 
inconspicuous, but they are succeeded by 
numerous black berries, which are ornamental 
in the winter season : these berries are nauseous 
and violently purgative ; when unripe their 
juice has the colour of saffron, and is used for 
staining maps or paper; the juice of the ripe 
berries mixed with alum is the sap-green of 
painters, but if they are too ripe the juice is 
purple. The bark affords a beautiful yellow 
dye ; and the inner layers have a purgative 
property. This species is adapted, from its 
rigid habit of growth and robust character, for 
forming hedges : and there is no doubt that 
plants could be reared and supplied with at 
least as much facility as those of the common 
hawthorn. It is found in Britain, generally 
on calcareous and loamy soils, and is a native 
of other parts of Europe, and the north of 
Asia. A variety with larger leaves, tapering 
to the base, found about Ilydria, is named 
hydriensis. 
Rhamnus dahuricus (the Dahurian Buck- 
thorn) is an erect deciduous shrub, growing 
five feet in height. The leaves are oblong- 
oval, with serrated margins, and a smooth 
surface. It is found near the river Arguinus, 
in Dahuria. The berries are black : the wood 
is red, and is called sandal-wood by the Rus- 
sians. 
Rhamnus en/tkroosj/hn (the red-wooded 
Buckthorn) grows to the height of six feet, in 
rocky and gravelly places, near the rivers of 
Mongolia and Siberia, It is an erect-grow- 
ing deciduous shrub, with linear-lanceolate, 
Serrated, smooth leaves. It prefers warm 
situations. The wood, which is very hard and 
red, is used by the Mongols for making their 
images : the berries afford a yellow colour. A 
variety from Caucasus, with smaller narrow 
leaves, is called angustissimus. 
Rhamnus frangula (the brittle Buck- 
thorn, or berry bearing Alder) is a deciduous 
shrub or low tree, growing ten or twelve feet 
high. The leaves are oval and quite entire. 
The berries, which are dark purple, are used 
by the Russians for dyeing yellow ; and the 
bark dyes yellow, and, with a preparation of 
iron, black. Both the berries and the bark 
are purgative. The unripe berries dye wool 
green and yellow ; the ripe ones blue-gray, 
blue, and green. Bees are very fond of the 
flowers ; and the charcoal prepared from the 
wood is preferred to any other by the manu- 
facturers of gunpowder. A variety called 
angustifolia, has narrower leaves. 
Rhamnus franguloides (the frangula-like 
Buckthorn), has ova' serrated leaves. It is 
a deciduous shrub, a native of North America, 
growing eight or ten feet in height. 
Rhamnus hybridus (the hybrid Alaternus) 
is a garden production between R. alpinus and 
R. Alaternus. It is a desirable sub-evergreen, 
growing ten or twelve feet high, with oblong 
acuminated, serrated, shining leaves, which are 
hardly permanent enough to rank it as a true 
evergreen. 
Rhamnus infectorius (the staining Buck- 
thorn, or Avignon berry) is a deciduous, almost 
procumbent shrub, with ovate-lanceolate, ser- 
rulated, smoothish leaves, native of rocky 
places, in the south of Europe ; the roots fix 
themselves so firmly on the rocks that it is diffi- 
cult to remove them. The berries are black, 
and are used for dyeing yellow. The yellow 
morocco leather is supposed to be coloured 
with them. 
Rhamnus htifollus (the broad - leaved 
Buckthorn) is a fine growing deciduous shrub, 
or low tree, growing fifteen feet high, and 
upwards. The leaves are large, elliptical, acu- 
minate, quite entire ; and the plant is re- 
markable for its robust appearance. It is a 
native of the Azores and the mountains of St. 
Michael. 
Rhamnus lengifblius (the long -leaved 
Buckthorn) has oval-oblong leaves, acute at 
both ends, serrated, smooth, and shining. It 
is a deciduous shrub, growing eight feet high. 
Rhamrms hjcioides (the Lyeium-like Buck- 
thorn) is a deciduous shrub, of three or 
four feet high, growing naturally on the lime- 
stone hills of Valencia. The leaves are linear, 
quite entire, obtuse and smooth. A variety 
found in Arragon has the leaves yellowish ; it 
is called a rriiijiiiiciisis. 
"Rhamnus oleoides (the olive-like Buck- 
thorn) grows in the fissures of rocks in Sicily, 
Mauritania, and other places. It is a deciduous 
