ERIC ALES. 691 



nearly or quite glabrous; fruit pale blue, about 6 mm. in diameter; stone globose, 

 nearly smooth. In swamps, Va. to Ga. and Fla. April-May. 



ii. Cornus alternifolia L.f. ALTERNATE-LEAVED CORNEL OR DOGWOOD. 

 (I. F. f. 2720.) A shrub, or small tree, with smooth greenish bark. Leaves slen- 

 der-petioled, oval or ovate, acuminate, 5-10 cm. long, pale and appressed-pubes- 

 cent beneath, the margins minutely denticulate; cymes pubescent; petals lanceo- 

 late; fruit globular, or slightly depressed, blue, about 8 mm. in diameter; stone 

 somewhat obovoid, channeled, scarcely flattened. In woods, N. S. to Ga., Ont., 

 Minn., W. Va. and Ala. May-July. 



a. NYSSA L. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate petioled leaves. Flowers small, greenish, 

 polygamo-dioecious, in capitate clusters, short racemes, or the fertile ones some- 

 times solitary, borne at the summit of slender axillary peduncles, appearing with 

 the leaves. Staminate flowers numerous, the calyx 5 -parted, the petals minute 

 and fleshy, or none; stamens 5-15; filaments slender; disk entire or lobed; pistil 

 none or rudimentary. Pistillate flowers 2-14, or solitary, bracted; calyx-limb 

 5 -toothed, or truncate; petals minute and fleshy, or none; stamens several, or com- 

 monly abortive; ovary I -celled, with I pendulous ovule; style slender, recurved. 

 Drupe ovoid or oval, the stone bony, compressed, I -seeded. [Name of a water 

 nymph.] About 7 species, natives of N. Am., eastern and central Asia. Besides 

 the following, another occurs in the Southern States. 



Leaves usually entire ; pistillate flowers 2-14; fruit 6-14 mm. long. 



Leaves mostly acute or acuminate; stone little flattened. i. N. sylvatica. 



Leaves mostly obtuse; stone much flattened. 2. N. biflora. 



Leaves usually dentate; pistillate flower solitary; fruit 16-30 mm. long. 3. N. aquatica. 



1. Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. PEPPERIDGE. SOUR GUM. TUPELO. (I. F. f. 

 2721.) A large tree, with rough bark. Leaves obovate or oval, entire, glabrous 

 and shining above, more or less pubescent beneath, 5-10 cm. long; staminate 

 flowers capitate; pistillate flowers larger, 2-14 together; fruit ovoid, nearly black, 

 8-14 mm. long, acid; stone ovoid. In rich moist soil, Me. and Ont. to Fla., Mich, 

 and Tex. Leaves rarely angulate-toothed on young trees. April-June . 



2. Nyssa biflora Walt. SOUTHERN TUPELO. WATER TUPELO. (I. F. f. 

 2722.) Similar to the preceding, the base swollen. Leaves mostly smaller and 

 narrower, obtuse or sometimes acute. 2.5-13 cm. long, glabrous when mature; pis- 

 tillate flowers only 1-3 together; fruit oval, or subglobose, 6-12 mm. long, acid; 

 stone oval or oblong, distinctly flattened and furrowed. In swamps and along 

 ponds, N. J. to Va., Fla. and Ala. April- May. 



3. Nyssa aquatica L. LARGE TUPELO. COTTON OR TUPELO GUM. (I. F. 

 f. 2723.) A large tree. Leaves slender-petioled. ovate or oval, angular-dentate, 

 or entire, acute, or acuminate, downy-pubescent beneath, especially when young, 

 becoming glabrate on both sides, 0.7-2.5 dm. long; fruit oval, dark blue when 

 ripe; stone narrowly obovate, flattened, spongy, with several sharp longitudinal 

 ridges. In swamps, Va. to Fla., Mo. and Tex. April. 



Series 2. Qamopetalae. 

 Petals partly or wholly united, rarely separate or wanting. 



This series is also known as Sympetalae and has been called Monopetalae. The 

 coherence of the petals is sometimes slight or they are quite separate, as in Clethraceae, 

 Pyrolaceae, some Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Styracaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Oleaceae, Cu- 

 curbitaceae and Galax in Diapensiaceae. From this condition the coherence varies 

 through all stages to the tubular or funnelform corollas of some Convolvulaceae, Capri- 

 foliaceae and Compositae. In American species of Fraxinus (Oleaceae) and in Glaux 

 (Primulaceae), there is no corolla. 



Order I. ERICALES. 



Flowers complete, regular. Calyx toothed, lobed, or divided, superior, 

 except in Vacciniaceae. Corolla mainly gamopetalous. Stamens free 

 from the corolla, or adnate only to its base (except in Diapensia and 



