852 NYSSACEAE 
l. Garrya Lindheimeri Torr. A branching shrub 5-20 dm. tall, with tomentulose 
twigs: leaf-blades leathery, oblong to oval or obovate, 2.5—5 cm. long, mucronate, tomen- 
tulose on both sides, but less so or glabrate above: drupes globular, 6-9 mm. long. 
In dry soil, central and southern Texas. Spring. 
2. NYSSA L. 
Shrubs or lofty trees, with a tough wood. Branches alternate. Leaves alternate: 
blades entire or rarely with a few lobe-like teeth. Flowers polygamo-dioecious, greenish ; 
staminate numerous, with 5-several sepals, 5-many petals, 5-many stamens, a large swollen 
entire or lobed disk and a rudimentary ovary ; pistillate flowers fewer, with 5 sepals, no 
petals, rudimentary stamens, a swollen disk and a 1-celled sessile ovary. Drupes solitary 
or clustered, slightly elongated, pulpy: stone terete or flattened, sometimes ribbed. Seed 
filling the cavity. Testa membranous. TUPELO. 
Pistillate flowers 2-several together: drupes 1-2 cm. long, the stone with rounded ridges. : 
Pistillate flowers usually 2: stone of the drupe prominently ridged. 1. N. biflora. 
Pistillate flowers 3 or more: stone of the drupe indistinctly ribbed. 2. N. sylvatica. 
Pistillate flowers solitary : drupes 3-4 em. Jong, the stone with acute or winged angles. 
Low shrub : leaf-blades glabrous or nearly so. 
Tall trees: leaf-blades pubescent beneath and on the midrib above. 
3 
Leaf-blades abruptly pointed : pedicel shorter than the fruit. 4. N. Ogeche. 
Leaf-blades acuminate: pedicel longer than the fruit. 5. N. aquatica. 
. N. acuminata. 
1. Nyssa bifldra Walt. A forest tree, with a maximum height of 40 m. and a trunk 
diameter of 2 m., its bark usually broken into longitudinal ridges. Leaf-blades oblanceolate, 
oblong, elliptic, oval or rarely ovate, 5-15 cm. long, obtuse or acute, entire, becoming 
glabrous, acute or rarely truncate at the base, short-petioled : staminate flowers rather few 
in loose heads: pistillate flowers usually 2 at the end of a slender peduncle: bracts ovate: 
petals ovate, obtuse: fruiting peduncles 2-6 cm. long: drupes oval or elliptic, 10-13 mm. 
long, dark-blue, the pulp acid : stone oval, strongly ribbed, blunt at both ends. 
In swamps and on margins of ponds, New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana. Spring. BLACK GUM 
WATER TUPELO. 
2. Nyssasylvática Marsh. A forest tree, reaching a height of 50 m. with a maximum 
trunk diameter of 1.5 m., its bark finally breaking into hexagonal blocks. Leaf-blades oval 
or obovate to rarely oblanceolate, 5-15 cm. long, obtuse or acute and usually acuminate, 
entire or angulariy lobed above, acute or rounded at the base, short-petioled, glabrous and 
often lustrous above, more or less pubescent, or glabrate beneath : staminate flowers numer- 
ous, in dense heads: pistillate flowers usually 3 at the end of a slender peduncle: bracts 
ovate: petals ovate, obtuse: fruiting pedicels 1-6 cm. long: drupes oval, nearly 1.5 cm. 
long, dark blue, the pulp acid, thin : stone narrowly ovoid, acute at the apex with 10-12 
indistinct ribs. 
In swamps and on hillsides, Maine to Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida and Texas. Spring. 
BOUR GUM. PEPPERIDGE. BLACK GUM. 
3. Nyssa acuminata Small. An almost glabrous shrub 2-3 m. tall, with a smooth 
bark, the branches and twigs red, spreading. Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 
4-15 cm. long, acuminate at both ends, entire, slightly revolute, glabrous, dark green above, 
pale and prominently nerved beneath ; petioles about 1 cm. long : pistillate flowers solitary 
on short pedicels : fruiting pedicels 1-1.5 cm. long, pubescent with brown hairs: drupes 
oblong, inequilateral, about 2 cm. long, slightly curved. 
In pine-land swamps near the coast, Georgia. Spring. 
4. Nyssa Ogéche Marsh. A tree sometimes 20 m. tall, with a maximum tuok 
diameter of about 6 dm., the bark irregularly fissured. Leaf-blades firm, oblong varymg t 
oblanceolate or lanceolate, or rarely oval, 5-20 cm. long, rounded at both ends or apicula $ 
at the apex, or sometimes acute at both ends, glabrate above, softly pubescent beneath ; 
petioles about 1 cm. long: staminate flowers in heads, 1-1.5 cm. in diameter, with oblong 
pedicels: pistillate flowers solitary with suborbicular petals : fruiting pedicels 1-1.5 cm. 
long: drupes oblong, 3-4 cm. long, red, very acid : stone flattened, with 10-12 papery 
wings. [N. capitata Walt. ] 
In river swamps, South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. Spring. OGEECHE PLUM. 
5. Nyssa aquática L. A forest tree, reaching a height of 35 m., with a wae dis 7 
trunk diameter of 1.5 m. above the much enlarged base. Leaf-blades ovate to eum fe 
dm. long, acute or acuminate, usually angularly toothed, glabrate above, thinly tomen oe 
beneath, acute to cordate at the base; petioles stout, 2-5 cm. long: staminate ee 
heads 1-1.5 cm. in diameter : pistillate flowers solitary : bracts linear : petals oblong, obtuse : 
