ALTINGIACEAE 509 
the petals, and one-half of them sterile, or numerous and the petals wanting. 
Filaments distinct, dilated at the base. Anthers introrse. Gynoecium of 2 
partially united carpels which cohere to the base of the calyx. Styles 2, distinct. 
Stigmas simple. Ovules solitary and suspended or several and horizontal. 
Fruit a capsule, often opening elastically. Testa shining. Embryo straight in 
the fleshy cartilaginous or bony endosperm. [Hamamelidaceae Lindl.] 
Calyx or calyx and corolla present: ovule solitary in each cavity, suspended. 
Petals wanting: stamens about 24: filaments club-shaped, elongated. 1. FOTHERGILLA. 
Petals 4, ribbon-shaped : stamens 4: staminodia 4: filaments short. 2. HAMAMELIS. 
Calyx and corolla wanting: ovules several or numerous, horizontal. 3. LIQUIDAMBAR. 
1. FOTHERGILLA L. 
Low monoeeious shrubs, with erect or underground stems. Leaves alternate: blades 
membranous or leathery, more or less coarsely toothed, short-petioled, deciduous. Flowers 
white, fragrant, appearing before the leaves or with them, in terminal bracted spikes. 
Hypanthium campanulate. Calyx truncate or obscurely 5-7-lobed. Petals wanting. 
Stamens numerous, inserted in 1 row, very conspicuous: filaments clavate-filiform. Ovary 
2-3-celled, partly inferior: styles 2-3, subulate-filiform. Ovule 1 in each cavity. Capsule 
2-3-lobed, 2-3-valved at the apex. Seed solitary in each cavity. Testa bony. The 
plants flower in the spring. DWARF ALDER. 
Flowers appearing before the leaves: leaf-blades stellate-pubescent above : filaments mostly less than 
10 mm. long: capsules 6-10 mm. long. 
Leaf-blades cordate at the base, about as broad as long, toothed from below the 
middle to the apex. 1. F. parvifolia. 
Leaf-blades cuneate or rounded at the base, much longer than broad, toothed only 
near the apex. 2. F. Carolina. 
Flowers appearing with the leaves: leaf-blades glabrate above : filaments mostly over 
11 mm. long: capsules 11-13 mm. long. 3. F. major. 
l. Fothergilla parvifólia Kearney. A low shrub, forming patches by underground 
stems, its twigs, leaves and inflorescence canescent. Branches 3-6 dm. tall, simple below, 
branched above: leaf-blades leathery, suborbicular or oval, 2-6 cm. long, coarsely crenate 
above the middle, dull green and stellate-pubescent above, canescent beneath when mature, 
cordate at the base, short-petioled : flowers appearing before the leaves: spikes 2-3 cm. 
long, dense: hypanthium canescent : filaments 6-7 mm. long: capsules about 6-8 mm. 
long, turbinate at the base, acute at the apex. 
In sandy oak or pine lands, in the low country, North Carolina to Florida. 
_ 2. Pothergilla Carolina (L.) Britton. A low shrub, with erect branching stems, its 
twigs and petioles finely pubescent. Stems becoming stout near the base: leaf-blades usu- 
ally leathery, oblong, or nearly so, undulate or sharply toothed near the apex, paler and 
more densely pubescent beneath than above, varying from cuneate to rounded at the base, 
short-petioled : flowers appearing before the leaves: spikes 1-4 cm. long, dense: hypan- 
thium very densely pubescent : filaments 8-10 mm. long : capsules 8-10 mm. long. 
In dry soil, Virginia to Georgia. 
3. Fothergilla major Lodd. A tall shrub, its twigs, petioles and peduncles downy. 
Stems erect, much branched : leaf-blades membranous, suborbicular, oval or obovate, 6-8 
cm. long, coarsely crenate above the middle, cuneate or subcordate at the base, bright 
green on both sides, glabrous above, paler beneath, and pubescent on the nerves ; petioles 
9-10 mm. long: flowers appearing with the leaves: spikes 4-7 mm. long, dense above 
looser below : hypanthium downy : filaments 11-15 mm. long: capsules 11-13 mm. long 
On mountain slopes, North and South Carolina to Alabama. 
2. HAMAMEDLIS L. | 
Slightly aromatic shrubs or small trees, with a scaly bark and flexuous terete branch 
lets. Leaves alternate : blades simple, slightly leathery, crenate, inequilateral at the base: 
stipules acute, deciduous. Flowers perfect or polygamous, appearing in fall or winter, in 
terminal 3-flowered clusters, on short lateral bracted peduncles, each flower subtended by 
bractlets, Hypanthium campanulate, persistent. Sepals 4, reflexed. Petals 4, ribbon-like; 
persistent, or wanting in fertile flowers. Stamens 4, opposite the sepals, alternating with 
4 strap-shaped staminodia: filaments subulate, each prolonged into a stout connective, 
shorter than the calyx : anther-sacs separated by the connective, opening by persistent 
valves attached on the outer edge. Ovary of 2, 1-celled carpels united at the base: 
styles 2, subulate : stigma terminal, minute. Ovules 1-2 in each cavity, suspended. Cap- 
