Celastrus

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Celastraceae

• Scientific Name

  Celastrus

• Description

  Genus Description - Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious; fls 5-merous, the staminate with 5 stamens about as long as the pet, inserted on the margin of the cup-shaped disk, and with a vestigial pistil, the pistillate with vestigial stamens and a well developed ovary, stout columnar style, and 3-lobed stigma; ovules 2 per locule, collateral; fr 3-valved, each valve covering 1 or 2 seeds completely enclosed in a fleshy red aril; woody twiners with deciduous, alternate, serrulate lvs and small whitish or greenish fls. 30, mostly trop.

• Common Names

  bittersweet