SPONDIACEAE 725 
1. CERATIOLA Michx. 
Erect evergreen shrubs, with whorled branches. Leaves whorled: blades narrow, 
strongly revolute, and thus almost tubular. Flowers dioecious, 2-3 whorled in the axils, 
sessile, reddish. Calyx often subtended by 2 bracts: sepals 2, fringed. Petals 2. Sta- 
mens 2: filaments filiform: anthers subglobose. Ovary sessile on a fleshy disk, 2-celled : 
stigma many-cleft. Drupe subglobose. Nutlets 2. 
1. Ceratiola ericoides Michx. An aromatic much branched shrub, 3-15 dm. tall, 
with pubescent branches. Leaves spreading ; blades revolute so that they appear filiform- 
subulate, 8-12 mm. long, acutish, short-petioled, often slightly curved: flowers reddish, 
whorled in the axils: bracts, sepals and petals strongly imbricated, concave, suborbicular, 
or broader than high, about 1 mm. long, eroded: stamens 2, exserted: filaments about 
twice as long as the anthers: drupe subglobose, 4-6 mm. in diameter, yellowish, rather 
persistent. 
In dry pine lands, South Carolina to Florida and Alabama. Spring. 
FAMILY 8. LIMNANTHACEAE Lindl. FALSE MERMAID FAMILY. 
Annual herbs, with tender tissues and a watery sap. Leaves alternate, with- 
out stipules: blades pinnately divided. Flowers perfect, solitary on axillary 
peduncles. Calyx of 2-5 valvate persistent sepals. Corolla of 2-5 white or 
colored petals alternating with an equal number of glands. Androecium of 4-10 
almost perigynous stamens. Filaments distinct, slender. Anthers 2-celled, the 
sacs opening lengthwise. Gynoecium of as many nearly distinct carpels as there 
are sepals and opposite them. Styles united. Stigmas as many as there are 
carpels. Ovules 1 in each cavity, ascending. Fruit 2-5-lobed, indehiscent, 
rough ortubercled. Endosperm wanting. Embryo straight, with thick cotyledons. 
1. FLOBRKIA Willd. 
Weak herbs, with glabrous foliage and diffusely spreading stems. Leaves alternate : 
blades coarsely dissected, rather fleshy. Flowers regular, inconspicuous. Sepals 3, val- 
vate. Petals white, 3, entire, convolute, early withering. Stamens 6; filaments distinct. 
Ovary 3-celled, deeply 3-lobed. Fruit of 1-3 achenes. Seeds solitary. Cotyledons cordate. 
1. Floerkia proserpinacoides Willd. Stems tender, fleshy, decumbent, 1-4 dm. 
long, simple or branched : leaves 2-8 cm. long ; blades pinnately 3-5 divided, the segments 
linear, elliptic or the terminal one oblanceolate, distant, acute or acutish, entire or incised ; 
petioles slender, the lower ones elongated : pedicels axillary, 1-3 cm. agin € 3, spread- 
ing, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3 mm. long, acute: corolla white, about 3 mm. broad : 
ees 3, erect, 1.5 mm. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse: stamens 3 as long as the petals or 
nally nearly equalling them in length : achenes subglobose, 2-2.5 mm. in diameter, tuber- 
culate-roughened. 
In mead d California. Spring. 
Fase Man rites and shaded soil, Quebec to Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee an o! pring 
FAMILY 4. SPONDIACEAE Kunth. Sumac FAMILY. ` 
Mostly monoecious or dioecious shrubs or trees, with a milky, resinous and 
often acid or caustic sap, which turns black in drying. Leaves alternate, with- 
out stipules: blades simple or pinnately compound : leaflets entire or toothed, 
not punctate. Inflorescence spicate, racemose or paniculate. Flowers small, 
rarely perfect, often polygamous, regular. Calyx of 3-5 sepals. Corolla of 3-5 
petals inserted on the base of the calyx or on a hypogynous disk, as many as, 
alternate with and larger than the sepals, imbricated, or rarely valvate. An- 
roecium of 3-5 stamens or rarely more, alternate with the petals. Filaments 
distinct or united to the disk. Anthers introrse. Gynoecium various, of 1 or 
4-5 united, or nearly distinct carpels. Ovary usually free. Styles united or 
sometimes distinct, terminal or lateral. Stigmas entire. Ovules solitary, am- 
phitropous or half-anatropous. Fruit a drupe or berry. Seeds solitary, with a 
membranous testa. Endosperm wanting. Embryo curved or bent. [Anacar- 
diaceae Lindl.] 
