R H A M N U S. 43 
ing any thorns. Trunk often the thickness of the human 
arm;, the wood pale red, of a brighter colour than in the com¬ 
mon buckthorn. Branches straight, testaceous-hoary, even: 
the twigs .mostly opposite, leafy at the end. Leaves large, 
more oblong, sub-acuminate. Flowers greenish-yellow; the 
leaflets acute, and deciduous. Stigma twin. Berries among 
the leaves on peduncles equal to the petioles; they are the 
size of a large pea, frequently twin, and commonly two- 
seeded ; the rudiment of the third seed being abortive.—Na¬ 
tive of Dauria, by the river Argun, where it is plentiful; but 
neither this nor the common buckthorn occur in other parts 
of Siberia. 
19. Rhamnus Alpinus, or Alpine buckthorn.—This forms 
a shrub of several feet in height. The rounded leaves, mani¬ 
festly crenate all about, distinguish it easily from R. Fran- 
gula. These leaves are hot doubly-crenate: in the younger 
ones, the margin, being plaited by prominent veins, has the 
appearance of doubled notches.—Native of the moun¬ 
tains of Germany, Switzerland, the south of France, and 
Piedmont. 
20. Rhamnus pumilus, or dwarf buckthorn.—This differs 
from the next species by its stems adhering to the rocks, and 
by its serrate leaves; from the preceding by its hermaphro¬ 
dite flowers. The leaves are scarcely villose underneath. 
The berries are three-seeded. It roots itself in the fissures of 
the rocks, and covers them like ivy. 
21. Rhamnus frangula, alder buckthorn, or berry-bearing 
alder.—The black berry-bearing alder rises with a woody 
stem to the height of ten or twelve feet, sending out many 
irregular branches, covered with a dark bark. Leaves ovate- 
lanceolate, about two inches long, and an inch broad, having 
several transverse nerves from the midrib to the sides. The 
flowers are produced in clusters at the end of the former 
year's shoots, and also upon the first and second joints of the 
same year’s shoot,’each upon a short separate pedicel; they 
are small, of an herbaceous colour, and are succeeded by 
small round berries, which turn red, but are black when 
ripe. The flowers appear in June, and the berries ripen in 
September. 
22. Rhamnus latifolius, or Azorian buckthorn.—23. 
Rhamnus glandulosus, or Madeira buckthorn.—24. Rhamnus 
ellipticus, or oval-leaved buckthorn.—25. Rhamnus prinoi- 
des, or prinos-leaved buckthorn.—26. Rhamnus mystacinus, 
or wiry buckthorn.—27. Rhamnus alnifolius, or alder-leaved 
buckthorn.—28. Rhamnus sphserospermus, or round-berried 
buckthorn.—29. Rhamnus hybridus, or hybrid buckthorn. 
—30. Rhamnus lineatus. 
31. Rhamus alaternus, or common alaternus.—The ala- 
ternus is a shrub with alternate, shining, evergreen leaves, 
ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, often glandular at 
the base, having remote serratures about the edge. Flowers 
small, numerous, axillary, in short blunt racemes. There is 
a very small bracte at the base of each pedicel. Flowers 
male and female or imperfect hermaphrodites, on the same 
or different individuals. The calyx in both sorts five-cleft, 
with the segments ovate, spreading, often bent down, yellow 
or brownish. Corolla none. In the male flowers, five 
upright stamens, alternate with the segments of the calyx : 
in the others, the rudiments of five stamens; the style 
three parted; the berry small, round, from red turning 
blackish whe i ripe, having two or three seeds, convex on 
one side, angular on the other.—Native of the south 
of Europe, and of Barbary. The fresh branches or young 
shoots with the leaves will dye wool a fine yellow. The 
honey breathing blossoms, says Mr. Evelyn, afford an 
early and marvellous relief to the bees. They come out in 
April. 
This gentleman informs us, that he was the first who 
brought the alaternus into use and reputation in this king¬ 
dom, and that he had propagated it from Cornwall to Cum¬ 
berland. 
This boast of Mr. Evelyn’s must be understood of his 
bringing this shrub into general use: for Parkinson, in 1629, 
had said, that we have growing in our country the tree 
called alaternus. It was however then rare; for Parkinson 
adds—“ The beauty and verdure of the leaves, abiding so 
fresh all the year, doth cause it to be of the greater respect, 
and therefore findeth place in their gardens only, that are 
curious conservers of all nature’s beauties.’* He calls it ever¬ 
green privet, which name is now lost in the Latin one.— 
Gerarde says, it is a stranger in England; and Johnson (in 
1633) does not contradict it. 
Clusius reports, that the fishermen in Portugal dye their 
nets red with a decoction of the bark; and that dyers there 
use small pieces of the wood to strike a blackish blue colour. 
Mr. Miller makes four species of alaternus, and has figured 
two in his plates. These are the only varieties worth consi¬ 
dering. The first has a variety with variegated leaves, com¬ 
monly called bloatched Phillyrea by the nursery-men ; and 
the third has the leaves striped with white and with yellow, 
called silver and gold-striped alaternus. 
j8. has the leaves much longer and narrower, and the ser¬ 
ratures on the edges much deeper: this shoots its branches 
more erect, forms an handsomer bush, and is equally hardy. 
The Phillyrea is sometimes confounded with the alaternus, 
by such as are not botanists; but they may easily be dis¬ 
tinguished by the position of their leaves, which are alternate 
in this, but placed opposite by pairs in that. 
The alaternus was much more in request formerly than" it 
is at present; having been planted against walls in court 
yards to cover them, as also to form evergreen hedges in 
gardens; for which purpose it is very improper, for the 
branches shoot very vigourously, and being pliant are fre¬ 
quently displaced by the wind; in winter, when much snow 
falls in still weather, the weight of it often breaks the branches-, 
these hedges also must be clipped three times in a season to 
keep them in order, which is both expensive, and occasions 
a great litter in a garden. 
This shrub is still sometimes used in towns for concealing 
walls; but chiefly to make a variety in ornamental planta¬ 
tions. 
32. Rhamnus carpinifolius, or hornbeam-leaved buckthorn. 
—Leaves oblong-lanceolate equally toothed acute, fruit 
sessile, all as elm. 
III.—Prickly. 
33. Rhamnus paliurus, or common Christ’s-thorn.— 
This tree rises with a pliant shrubby stalk, to the height 
of eight or ten feet, sending out many weak slender branches, 
garnished with oval leaves placed alternately, standing upon 
foot-stalks near one inch long; these have three longitudinal 
veins, and are of a pale green. The flowers come out at the 
wings of the stalk in clusters, almost the length of the young 
branches; they are of a greenish-yellow colour, and appear 
in June, and are succeeded by broad, roundish, buckler¬ 
shaped seed-vessels, which have borders like the brims of a 
hat, the foot-stalks being fastened to the middle; these 
have three cells, each containing one seed. 
From this singular appearance of the fruit, like a head 
with a broad brimmed hat on, the French call it Porte 
chapeau. —Native of the South of Europe, the Levant, 
Caucasus, and Barbary. 
This by many persons supposed to be the plant from 
which the crown of thorns, which was put upon the head of 
our Saviour, was composed; the truth of which is sup¬ 
ported by many travellers of credit, who affirm that this is 
one of the most common shrubs in the country of Judtea; 
and from the pliableness of its branches, which may easily 
be wrought into any figure, it may afford a probability. 
34. Rhamnus lotus, or the genuine lotus.—The true 
Lotus of the Lotophagi is a very branching shrub; the 
branches are reclining and flexuose. Prickles in pairs at 
the origin of the leaves, one straight, the other shorter and 
bent in. Leaves alternate,small, blunt, three-nerved, smooth, 
somewhat rigid, on very short petioles. Flowers solitary or 
glomerate, axillary, each on a short pedicel. Calyx five- 
parted ; segments small, ovate, spreading, alternate with the 
petals; which are five in number, minute, half funnel-form. 
Stamens five, opposite to the petals. Styles two, short approxi¬ 
mating. Fruit a spherical drupe, the size of a wild plum, 
sweet and harmless; inclosing a small, round, bony, two- 
celled 
