LEI TNERIA LES 3 2 1 



i. MYRICA L. 



Leaves entire, dentate or lobed, mostly resinous-dotted. Staminate aments oblong 

 or narrowly cylindric, expanding before or with the leaves. Stamens 4-8. Pistillate 

 aments ovoid or subglobose; ovary subtended by 2-4, mostly short, bractlets. 

 Drupe globose or ovoid, its exocarp waxy. [Ancient Greek name of the Tamarisk.] 

 Besides the following species, another occurs in the Southern States and 2 on the 

 Pacific coast. 



Bractlets of pistillate aments persistent, clasping the drupes; low bog shrub. 



1. M. Gale. 

 Bractlets of pistillate aments deciduous, the ripe drupes separated. 



Slender tree; leaves mostly acute, narrow; drupe less than 2 mm. in diameter. 



2. M. cei'ifera. 

 Shrub; leaves mostly obtuse, broader; drupe 2-3 mm. in diameter. 



3. M. Carolinensis. 



1. Myrica Gale L. SWEET GALE. (I. F. f. 1159.) A shrub, the twigs dark 

 brown. Leaves oblanceolate, obtuse and dentate at the apex, narrowed to a 

 cuneate entire base, short-petioled, dark green and glabrous above, pale and puber- 

 ulent or glabrous beneath, 2-6 cm. long, unfolding after the aments; staminate 

 uments linear-oblong, 1-2 cm. long, crowded; pistillate aments ovoid-oblong, ob- 

 tuse, about 8 mm. long, their bracts imbricated; drupe resinous -waxy, not longer 

 than the 2 ovate persistent bractlets. In wet places, Newf. to Alaska, S. N. Y., 

 Va., Mich, and Wash. Also in Europe and Asia. April-May. 



2. Myrica cerifera L. WAX MYRTLE. (I. F. f. 1160.) A slender dioecious 

 tree, the bark gray, nearly smooth. Leaves narrow, oblong or oblanceolate, 

 mostly acute, entire or sparingly dentate, narrowed at the base, fragrant, short- 

 petioled, dark green above, paler and sometimes pubescent beneath, golden-resin- 

 ous, 2-8 cm. long, unfolding with or before the aments; staminate aments cylindric; 

 pistillate aments short, oblong ; ripe drupes globose, bluish white, waxy, tipped 

 with the base of the style, long-persistent. In sandy swamps or wet woods, Md. 

 to Fla., Tex., north to Ark. March- April. 



3. Myrica Carolinensis Mill. WAXBERRY. BAYBERRY. (I. F. f. 1161.) A 

 shrub, 0.52.5 m. high, with smooth gray bark, the twigs often pubescent. Leaves 

 oblanceolate or obovate, glabrous above, often pubescent beneath, resinous, 5-10 

 cm. long, 1-3 cm. wide, serrate with a few low teeth above the middle, or entire, 

 obtuse or sometimes acute at the apex, narrowed at the base, short-petioled ; stam- 

 inate aments cylindric or oblong, 6 18 mm. long; pistillate aments short, oblong ; 

 ripe drupes globose, bluish white, very waxy, long-persistent. In dry or moist 

 sandy soil, N. S. to Fla. and Ala. and on the shores of Lake Erie. Occurs also in 

 bogs in N. N. J. and Penn. April-May. 



2. COMPTONIA Banks. 



A low, branching shrub with terete brown branches and narrow, deeply pin- 

 natifid leaves, the young foliage pubescent. Aments expanding with the leaves, 

 the staminate ones and their flowers as in Myrica. Fertile aments globose-ovoid, 

 on monoecious plants appearing below the staminate, several-flowered. Ovary sub- 

 tended by 8 linear-subulate persistent bractlets, which form an involucre to the 

 ovoid-oblong bony nut. Fruit bur-like. [Name in honor of Rev. Henry Comp- 

 ton, 1632-1713, bishop of Oxford.] A monotypic genus of eastern N. Am. 



i. Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coulter. SWEET FERN. (I. F. f. 1162.) 

 Leaves linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, 0.7-1.5 dm. long, short-petioled, obtuse 

 or subacute at the apex, deeply pinnatifid into numerous oblique lobes, fragrant ; 

 stipules semi-cordate, mostly deciduous ; staminate aments clustered at the ends of 

 the branches, 2.5 cm. long or less, their bracts reniform, acute ; pistillate aments 

 bur-like in fruit, the subulate bractlets longer than the light brown, shining, striate, 

 obtuse nut. In dry soil, especially on hillsides, N. S. to Man., N. Car., Ind. and 

 Mich. April-May. 



Order 5. LEITNERIALES. 



Shrubs or trees with dioecious small flowers in aments, and simple 

 entire petioled alternate leaves. Staminate flowers with no perianth. 



