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Celastrus
See list of 2 species in this genusNew England genera of this family have, until recently, been appropriately treated as grammatically feminine (their classical gender). However, most authors have usually treated the genera (incorrectly) as masculine, as did Linnaeus. This now appears to be remedied as the names in Celastrus are recommended to be considered masculine (Brummitt 2005), and some authors are applying these results to Euonymus as well. Therefore, specific epithets will generally show an “- us” termination rather than an “- a” termination.
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1a. Inflorescence an axillary cyme with usually 2 or 3 flowers; leaf blades broad-ovate to suborbicular, crenate, 1.2–1.7 times as long as wide; pollen white; branchlets with low but prominent and long ridges formed by lines of decurrence extending down from the leaf scars; expanding leaves weakly conduplicate, the inner leaves progressively enfolded by the outer leaves, the margins not or scarcely involute; capsules with (1–) 4–7 (–8) seeds
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1b. Inflorescence a terminal panicle with 6 or more flowers [Fig. 581]; leaf blades elliptic to oblong or ovate, serrate, 1.8–2.6 times as long as wide; pollen yellow; branchlets lacking ridges formed by lines of decurrence or these obscure; expanding leaves neither conduplicate nor obviously enfolding successively inner leaves, the margins initially tightly involute; capsules with 1–4 (–8) seeds
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Each photo represents one species in this genus.