LAURACEAE. 141 



greenish, in panicles, corymbs, racemes or umbels. Calyx 4 6-parted, the 

 segments imbricated in 2 series in the bud. Corolla none. Stamens inserted 

 in 3 or 4 series of 3 on the calyx, distinct, some of them commonly imper- 

 fect or reduced to staminodia ; anthers opening by valves. Ovary superior, 

 free from the calyx, 1-celled; ovule solitary, anatropous, pendulous; stigma 

 discoid or capitate. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe or berry. Endosperm none. 

 Cotyledons plano-convex, accumbent. About 40 genera and probably 1000 

 species, widely distributed in tropical regions; a few in the temperate 

 zones. There are no species native to Bermuda. 



Persea Persea (L.) Cockerel! [Persea gratissima G-aertn.], ALLIGATOR PEAR, 

 AVOCADO PEAR, Mexican, is a large tree commonly planted for its valuable 

 fruit, which is a large oblong or pear-shaped drupe, sometimes 6' long, with 

 buttery flesh, largely used in salads, and a hard pit. The small greenish 

 flowers are borne in cymes; the oval or elliptic, petioled, pinnately veined 

 leaves are 3 '-6' long. Trees differ greatly in the amount of fruit produced. 



Laurus nobilis L., SWEET BAY, European, is planted for ornament, and 

 locally established in hedges and roadside thickets, but does not appear to exist 

 except where it has been planted. It is an evergreen, glabrous, densely leafy 

 shrub or small tree, becoming 20 high, with oblong or lanceolate, coriaceous 

 leaves 3 '-4' long, narrowed at both ends, fragrant when crushed ; the small 

 greenish flowers are borne in umbels, the staminate and perfect ones with 12 

 stamens in 3 series, the pistillate with 4 staminodes and a short style ; the ovoid 

 berry is about 5" long. 



Camphora Camphora (L.) Karst., CAMPHOR, of eastern Asia, a tree up to 

 25 high, the bark and leaves the source of gum camphor, has been planted for 

 interest and grows luxuriantly ; the buds are covered by scales ; its ovate to 

 elliptic, 3-nerved, slender-petioled, acuminate leaves are 2'-4' long, whitish be- 

 neath when young; the small whitish flowers are in axillary panicles; there are 

 9 stamens ; the fruit is a globose or oval drupe about 4" in diameter. A tree 

 at Norwood, 20 years old, was about 23 high in 1914, with a trunk circum- 

 ference of 27i'. This tree has become naturalized in southern Florida. [Laurus 

 Camphora L. ; Cinnamomum Camphora Nees & Eberm.] 



Cinnamomum Cassia Blume, CASSIA-BARK, Chinese, has been planted for 

 interest. It is a tree with coriaceous, evergreen, oblong leaves 4'-8' long, nar- 

 rowed at both ends, shining and finely reticulate-veined above, its buds not 

 scaly; the small flowers, with 9 stamens, are in axillary panicles; the fruit is 

 an oblong drupe 6" 8" long. 



Jones, in 1873, mentions an undetermined tree of this family as Oreo- 

 daphne, 



Order 15. PAPAVERALES. 



Mostly herbs, with clustered, regular and perfect flowers. Petals, with 

 very rare exceptions, present, separate. Sepals usually separate. Stamens 

 hypogynous. Ovary superior, free from the calyx, compound, composed 

 of two united carpels, or more. 



Sepals 2 (very rarely 3 or 4) ; endosperm fleshy. 



Flowers regular. Fam. 1. PAPAVERACEAE. 



Flowers irregular. Fam. 2. FUMARIACEAE. 



Sepals or calyx-segments 4-8 : endosperm none. 



Capsule 2-celled by a longitudinal partition, usually 2- 



valved, rarely indehiscent : sepals and petals 4. Fam. 3. BRASSICACEAE. 



Capsule 1-celled, of 2-6 carpels. 



Style short or wanting ; seeds wingless. 



Sepals and petals 4, regular, or petals irregu- 

 lar ; capsule of 2 carpels, 2-valved. Fam. 4. CAPPARIDACEAE. 

 Sepals and petals 4-8, irregular ; capsule of 3-6 



carpels, 3-6-valved at the top ; disk large. Fam. 5. RESEDACEAE. 



Style elongated ; seeds winged. Fam. 6. MORIXGACEAE. 



