498 Hill : Celtis pumila Pursh 



the anthers and barely more than half the length of the sepals. 

 In the perfect flower the anthers are erect, emarginate, nearly ses- 

 sile and included, smaller than in the sterile. The vase-shaped 

 ovary rises from a torus of dense white tomentum, and is glossy 

 green. The stigmas are long, spreading or a little recurved, 8-10 

 mm. across when expanded, the tips generally strongly incurved 

 or rolled inward, densely clothed above and around the ends with 

 white, more or less papillose, hairs, the smooth green strip beneath 

 being very narrow. The fruit is single, globular, 6-8 mm. in diam- 

 eter, on ascending pedicels about the length of the petiole (9-1 2 

 mm.). It varies in color from bay or light brick to chestnut or 

 even sooty when very ripe ; it has a thick, tough skin and a thin, 

 orange-colored, sweet flesh. The nutlet is globose, slightly higher 

 than wide, sometimes a little flattened longitudinally, 5.5-6 mm. 

 high by 5-5.5 mm. in diameter; the thick, white wall coarsely 

 reticulated on the outer surface, pale orange and lustrous within. 

 The pits are shallow, their bounding walls broad and rounded. 

 The seed is covered by a thin, white, membranous coat marked 

 at the chalaza by a dark circular spot. The fruit sometimes per- 

 sists on the branches during the winter, but is apt to be eaten by 

 birds. 



Celtis pumila ranges from Delaware and Pennsylvania to Kan- 

 sas, Colorado and Utah, and southward along the Atlantic border. 



t> 



It inhabits sand dunes, rocky places, rocky banks of streams, dry 

 hills and mountains, being generally xerophytic in habit. 



Specimens have been examined in the herbarium of the Field 

 Columbian Museum from Delaware (W. M. Canby, C. occidcntalis 

 L. var. pumila Gray), from Pennsylvania (Traill Green, C. occi- 

 dental L., Easton, Pa.) ; in the herbarium of J. M. Coulter, 

 University of Chicago, from Kansas (No. 44, J. E. Bodin, C. oca- 

 dentalis L. var., described as a large shrub or small tree about 15 

 feet high, "growing on rocky creek banks on limestone ground.") 

 Besides material of C. occidcntalis collected in various places in the 

 vicinity of Chicago, specimens from different regions were available 

 for comparison in the above herbaria, though unfortunately nearly 

 always with immature fruit. Excellent fruit from Stark Co., DL, 

 was furnished by V. H. Chase. Specimens of C. reticulata Ton*, 

 were examined in the herbarium of J. M. Coulter from Bowie, 



