170 ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM., X X I I . j u i a m n a c e æ ; r h a m n u s . 171
î
III:
Disk annular, ra th e r flat. Ovary half-immersed in th e disk, 2-celled. Style
short, bifid a t th e ape.x. Fruit dry, indehiscent, 2-celled. (Don’s M ill.)
Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, deciduous ; nerved. Flowers terminal,
dioecious by defect ; small, greenish yellow. — A twining deciduous shrub ;
a native o f Carolina ; o f easy culture in any common soil, and propagated
by seeds, o r cuttings o f th e ro o t.
-Î 1. B. v o l u ' b i l i s Dec. T h e twining Berchemia.
Identification. D e c . P ro d ., 2. p. 22. ; D o n ’s Mill., 2. p. 27.
S yn o n ymes. R h âm n u s volùbilis L in . f i t. S uppl. 132., Jacq. Icon. R a r . t. 336. ; Z îzy p h u s volùbilis
Wüld. Spec. 1. p . 1102. ; OE n ô p lia volùbilis Schult. S y s t. 5. p . 332. ; Supple Ja c k , Virg in ia n .
E n g ra v in g s. Ja c q . Icon. R a r., t . 336. ; o u r f ig . 243. in flower, an d fig . 244. in fru it, from n a tu re .
Spec. Char., 4 c . Branches glabrous, ra th e r twining. Leaves oval, mucronate,
somewhat waved. Flowers dioecious. Drupes oblong. (Dec. Prod.) A
deciduous twining shrub. Carolina and Virginia, in deep swamps. Height,
in America, 20 ft. to 50 ft. ; in British gardens, 8 ft. to 10 ft. Intro d u ced in
1714. Flowers greenish y e llow ; Ju n e and July. F ru it violet-coloured;
ripe in October.
According to P u rsh , this species, in Virginia, ascends th e highest trees, and
is known by th e name o f Supple Jack . T h e stems twine round one another,
243. B e rch èm to voiùbilis. 2 4 4 . B e rc h èm ia v olùbilis.
or any object which they may be near. In British gardens, they are seldom
seen above 8 or 10 feet h ig h ; probably from little a tten tio n being paid to
place th e plant in a deep sandy or peaty soil, and to supply it with abundance
o f moisture in the growing season. In fine seasons it ripens fruit.
G e n u s IV .
Z H A 'M N U S Lam. T h e B u c k t h o r n .
gÿnia.
Lin. Syst. P en tá n d ria Mono-
IdenliJkaUon L am .D ie t. 4 .p . 461. ; Lam ill., 1 .128.; Gært, F ru c t., 2 .p. 106.; Dec.jJo n S Mill,, 2. p . 2Q. • Hrnn&n IVÍó-in RBnw. w tta j i- P ro d ., 2 .p . 23.; 1., p . 3 > "w.. ; Rai
53.
imno, Ita l. ; th e R am , o r H a r t ’s ,T h o rn e , G e ra rd ;
; B ro n g n . Mém. R ham.,
S ynonymes. N e rp ru n , Fr. : W e sd o rn , Ger. :
B ox T h o rn . e > .
D e riv a tio n F rom th e Celtic w ord, r am , signifying a tu f t o f b ra n ch es ; wh ich th e Greeks have
changed to rhamnos, an d th e L a tin s to ram u s.
Gen. Char. Calyx urceolate, 4—5-cleft. Stamens bearing ovate 2-ce!led anthers.
Disk thin, covering th e tube o f th e calyx. Ovary free, 3 4-celled.
Styles 3—4, connected o r free. Frutt baccate, containing 3—4 indehiscent
nuts. (D o ris MiU.)
Leaves simple, a lte rn a te, stipulate, deciduous, sub-evergreen, or evergreen
; feather-nerved ; th e stipules never converted into prickles. Flowers
axillary, aggregate, often unisexual. Fruit n o t eatable, generally black,
rarely red or yellow.
Deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with th e tips o f th e ir branches often becoming
spines. One or two species have th e habit o f low trees, and some of
tliem are sub-procumbent o r procumbent ; all o f them, except th e la tte r, being
distinguished by an upright stiff m ode o f growth, and numerous strong thorns
in their wild s tate ; whence th e name o f ram, or buck, thorn. T h e flowers
in all th e species are inconspicuous ; but R . rilatérnus and its varieties are
most valuable evergreen shrubs, and several o f the o th e r species are ornamental,
both from their foliage and their fruit ; th e la tte r ot which is also
useful in dyeing. All the species are easily propagated by seeds o r layers, and
most o f them by cuttings ; and they will all grow in any soil th a t is dry. Ih e y
all vary mucli in magnitude by culture, in common with most plants which, in
a wild state, grow in arid soils.
§ i. Marcorella Neck.
S ynonymes. R h ám n u s an d 4 1 a té rn u s o t T o u rn .
Sect. Char. Flowers usually dioecious, and 5-cIeft. F ru it a berry, with 3
seeds, or, from abortion, 2 seeds. Seeds deeply furrowed, with th e raphe
in the bottom o f the furrow. I.eaves usually permanent ; coriaceous, and
glabrous. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 23.)
A. A l a t e ' r N U S Tourn. Floivers racemose, 5-cleft. Evergreen Shrubs.
® 1. R . J l a t e ' r n u s L . T h e Alaternus.
Identification. L in . Spec., 281. ; D e c. P ro d ., 2. p. 23. ; D o n ’s
Si]fion'¿flcf.' A lk térn u s P h illÿ re a Milt. D ict. No. 1.; A la te rn a ,/to«.
Derivation. F rom a lte r n u s ,a gene ric nam e adopted irom Uios-
corides, d e sig n a tin g th e a lte rn a te position of th e leaves.
Engravings. Mill. D ie t., t. 16. f. 1. ; N . D u H am., 3. p. 42. 1 . 14. ;
and o u r Jig. 245.
Spec. Char., 4c. Leaves ovate-elliptical, or lanceolate,
coriaceous, quite smooth, serrated. Flowers
dioecious, disposed in sh o rt racemes. (D o ris M ill.)
An evergreen shrub. S o u th o f E u ro p e and
North o f Africa. Height 10 ft. to 20 ft. In tro duced
in 1629. Flowers green, without any corolla ;
April to Ju n e . Berry black ; ripe in October.
245. flhámnuB rilatémui
Varieties. ,
K B, A. 2 baleárica H o rt. P a r. The Rharanus rotundifolius ot D u mont.
— Leaves roundish. We take this as th e first variety, assuming
th e species to be what is called R . ^
A. latifòlia, which is th e commonest
variety in British nurseries.
' «a R . A. 3 hispánica H o rt. P a r. (O u r Jig.
2 4 6 .) — Leaves ovate, a little toothed.
» R . A. 4 angustifolia. R . Cliisii Willd.
(Mill. Icon., t. 16. fig. 2. ; and our
fig. 247.) Leaves long and narrow.—
'T h is variety is so distinct, tliat it is by
many authors considered as a species.
I t is o f remarkably rapid growth.
T h e re are two subvarieties o f it, th e
gold-striped, and th e silver-striped;
b oth o f remarkably free growth.
» «È R A. 5 filiis Leaves blotched with yellow.
U, in R. A. 6 fòfùs f lû r r is .-L e a v e s edged with yellow.
I