508 ALTINGIACEAE 
or narrowed at the base, gray-pubescent on the lower surface, appressed pubescent or 
eventually glabrate or glabrous above, 3-8 cm. long, 1-4 cm. broad, dentate, prominently 
3-nerved : flowers solitary or in twos and threes: pedicels, hypanthium and sepals pubes- 
cent: corolla 2-3 em. wide: stigmas united. 
ae On rocky slopes and banks of streams, North Carolina and Tennessee to Georgia and Alabama. 
Spring. 
3. DECUMARIA L. 
Climbing evergreen shrubby vines, with terete stems. Leaves opposite, without 
stipules: blades thick, entire or sparingly toothed. Flowers white, in terminal 
corymbose ‘panicles. Calyx 7-10-toothed. Petals 7-10, narrow, valvate. Stamens 20-30, 
inserted under the edge of the disk: filaments subulate. Ovary 5-10-celled, inferior : 
style thick, 5-10-ribbed : stigma capitate, 5-10-lobed. Ovules numerous, pendulous. 
Capsule turbinate, many-ribbed, opening between the ribs. Seeds narrowly club-shaped, 
pendulous. Testa thin, reticulated. 
1. Decumaria barbara L. A vine, with climbing stems 1-10 cm. thick which attach 
themselves by rootlets. Leaf-blades leathery, elliptic or oval, varying to ovate or rarely to 
obovate, 5-10 em. long, usually acute or abruptly short-acuminate, more or less strongly 
toothed above the middle, acute to subcordate at the base, glossy, sometimes slightly 
pubescent on the nerves beneath; petioles i-i as long as the blades: corymb 5-10 em. 
broad, round-topped : hypanthium campanulate to turbinate, about 2 mm. broad: sepals 
triangular, acute: petals oblong to linear-oblong, 3-4 mm. long, concave, obtuse, shorter 
than the petals: capsules urn-shaped, 6-8 mm. long, strongly ribbed, surrounded above 
ea middle by the persistent calyx-limb, the clusters pendent : seeds very numerous, 2 mm. 
ong. 
On river banks and in low woods, Virginia to Louisiana and Florida. Spring. 
FAMILY 7. ITEÀCEAE Agardh. VIRGINIA WILLOW FAMILY. 
Shrubs or trees with upright stems. Leaves alternate: blades simple, 
toothed, the teeth sometimes glandular-tipped : stipules wanting. Flowers 
perfect, white, in simple terminal narrow racemes or axillary panicles. Hy- 
panthium turbinate, or campanulate. Sepals 5, erect. Petals 5, narrow, val- 
vate, the tips inflexed. Stamens 5, inserted under the edge of an epigynous 
disk. Filaments slender. Anthers oblong. Gynoecium of 2 carpels united to 
the apex or near it. Ovary superior or nearly so, elongated, 2-celled. Styles 
united, a groove showing the line of union. Stigmas capitate. Ovules numerous, 
in two rows on the placenta. Capsule elongated, 2-grooved lengthwise, open- 
ing septicidally by 2 valves. Seeds flattened, with the testa produced at both 
ends, and copious endosperm. 
1. ITEAL 
Characters of the family. VrRGINIA WILLOW. 
1. Itea Virginica L. A straggling shrub, 1-3 m. tall, with pubescent twigs and 
racemes. Leaf-blades elliptic to oval or obovate, 5-14 em. long, acute or short-acuminate, 
bristly-serrate, usually acute at the base, glabrous above, often sparingly pubescent be- 
neath ; petioles 0.5-1 cm. long: racemes terminal, 3-15 cm. long: pedicels 1.5-3 cm. 
long: hypanthium broadly campanulate, 2-2.5 mm. broad: sepals lanceolate, about 1 
mm. long, acute: petals linear or linear-lanceolate, 4 mm. long, erect or finally spreading, 
acutish : stamens finally as long as the petals : capsules narrow, 6-8 mm. long, seated in the 
hypanthium, pubescent, 2-grooved. 2 
In or near swamps, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania to Florida and Louisiana. Spring. 
FAMILY 8. ALTINGIACEAE Hayne. WrrcH HAZEL FAMILY. 
Shrubs or trees, the bark often aromatic and sometimes exuding à fragrant 
balsam. Stem or branches occasionally furnished with corky wings. Leaves 
alternate: blades simple, entire, toothed or lobed. Flowers perfect, or often 
polygamous or monoecious, in terminal or axillary spikes, clusters or oe 
Perianth of 1 or 2 series, or wanting. Calyx of 4 or 5 imbricated sepals. Corolla 
of 4 or 5, elongated or strap-shaped, valvate petals inserted at the base of the 
sepals, sometimes wanting. Androecium various: stamens twice as many a 
