374 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



smooth, and of a remarkably dark copper color. The recent 

 shoots are covered with a close, brownish down, which is not 

 entirely removed till the end of three or four years. 



The leaves are alternate, on very short petioles, oblong-lance- 

 olate, often larger towards the extremity, rather obtuse, obso- 

 letely serrate and somewhat revolute at the margin, shining 

 above and dotted with scaly dots, which beneath are rust- 

 colored. 



The flowers are in racemes, on the ends of the branches, in 

 the axil of last year's leaves. These leaves are much smaller 

 than those not supporting flowers, and are formed later in the 

 previous season. They diminish in size to the extremity of the 

 branch, where they are only two or three lines long. 



The flower-stalks are short and stout, and, at the time of fruit, 

 are arranged in two rows. Just below the calyx are two very 

 short, rounded, acuminate bracts. The segments of the calyx 

 are five, pointed, with a membranous border, coriaceous, per- 

 sistent, and protecting the fruit, and closely covered with white 

 scales. 



Corolla white, egg-shaped, somewhat five-sided, contracted 

 towards the mouth, ending in five slightly reflexed, rounded, 

 brownish teeth, between which the point of the pistil shows 

 itself. Stamens ten, opening from the base of the corolla ; 

 filament ribbon-shaped, white below, gradually tapering to a 

 brownish thread. Pistil persistent, tapering, gradually dying 

 down to the capsule. Fruit a capsule, round, flattened, opening 

 late by five valves, two-coated, the external, dark, coriaceous, 

 the internal, whitish yellow, and remaining on the branches 

 until the appearance of the flowers of the succeeding spring. 

 Anthers brown, of two long, conical tubes, opening at the point. 

 It forms large beds in the edge of swamps or boggy meadows, 

 where it opens its abundant and showy racemes in April, among 

 the earliest flowers of spring. 



XX. 3. THE LYO v NIA. LYO^NIA. Nuttall. 



A genus so named by Mr. Nuttall to commemorate the name 

 of John Lyon, an indefatigable collector of North American 

 plants, who fell victim to a dangerous epidemic, amidst those 



