794 TURNERACEAE 



silky, persistent. Petals 5, united at the base. Stamens numerous, on the top and inner 

 face of 5 disk-like lobes confluent at the base : filaments distinct, relatively short : anthers 

 versatile. Ovary 3-5-celled : styles united. Ovules 4 in each cavity. Capsule pointed, 

 loculicidally 5-valved, the valves entire. Seeds 4, or mostly 2, in each cavity, each with 

 a membranous wing at tlie top. Endosperm wanting. 



1. Gordonia Lasianthus (L. ) Ellis. An evergreen tree, reaching a height of 25 m., 

 with a maximum trunk diameter of 5 dm., the bark thick, in flat parallel ridges. Leaf- 

 blades narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 5-15 cm. long, acutish, obtuse or notched at the 

 apex, appressed-serrate, glabrous, lustrous above, dull Ijeneath, narrowed into short winged 

 petioles : peduncles stout, 3-7 cm. long : sepals suborbicular, 8-10 mm. in diameter, silky 

 with silvery hairs, ciliate : corolla showy, 5-7 cm. broad : petals obovate, oblong or ellip- 

 tic, obtuse,' 2. 5-3. 5 cm. long, silky without or at length glabrous: filaments united into a 

 thick, fleshy, 5-lobed tube, pubescent within : capsule ovoid, 15-18 mm. long, acutish, 

 silky : seeds somewhat S-shaped, 6-7 mm. long ; wing membranous, about as long as the 

 seed-body. 



In swamps and hammocks, Virginia to Florida and Louisiana. Flowers in the summer and ma- 

 tures its fruit in the fall. Loblolly Bay. Tan Bay. Black Laurel. 



Family 8. TURNERACEAE H.B.K. Turnera Family. 



Perennial herbs or shrubby plants, with stingless hairs, or glabrous. Leaves 



alternate : blades simple, sometimes with 2 glands at the base. Flowers mostly 



perfect, regular, axillary. Calyx of 5 imbricated sepals. Corolla of 5 convokite 



deciduous petals, often delicate. Androecium of 5 stamens inserted with or near 



the petals. Filaments distinct, free. Anther-.sacs opening lengthwise. Gynoe- 



cium compound, of 3 united carpels. Ovary free, 1-celled. Styles 3, entire, at 



least to the stigma. Stigmas dilated or usually many-cleft. Ovules numerous 



in 2 rows on the 3 parietal placentae, these opposite the three styles. Capsule 



1-celled, 3-valved at the apex or to the base. Seeds slightly curved. Embryo 



straight in the copious fleshy endosperm. 



Herbaceous : stigmas 2-cleft. 1. Piriqueta. 



Shrubby : stigmas not 2-cleft. 2. Turnera. 



1. PIRIQUETA Aubl. 

 Perennial herbs, sometimes shrubby at the base, with glabrous tomentose hirsute or 

 stellate-pubescent foliage. Leaves alternate : blades entire, toothed or pinnatifid, often 

 biglandular at the base. Flowers axillary, or in reduced panicles. Sepals 5, imbricated. 

 Petals yellow, 5, inserted below the stamens. Filaments flattened. Anthers somewhat 

 elongated. Stigmas 3, 2-cleft, brush-like. Capsule 1-celled, loculicidally 3-valved to the 

 base. Seeds numerous, curved, with a crustaceous often roughened testa. The plants 

 flower mainly in the spring and summer. 



Foliage glabrous, at least to the inflorescence. 



Pedicel and calvx glabrous : bracts leaf-like. 1. -P. viridis. 



Pedicel and calyx pubescent : bracts scale-like. 2. P. glabreseens. 

 Foliage tomentose "or hirsute throughout. 



Stems tomentose. 3. P. tomentosa. 



Stems hirsute as well as tomentose. 4. P. Caroliniana. 



1. Piriqueta viridis Small. Glabrous, deep green. Stems simple or sparingly 

 branched near the base, smooth : leaf-blades linear or linear-spatulate on the lower part of 

 the stem, 3-8 cm. long, acute or acutish, repand, not prominently nerved beneath, sessile 

 or short-petioled below : bracts leaf-like : pedicels glabrous : calyx glabrous, turbinate ; 

 lobes lanceolate, 6-8 mm. long, acute, ribbed : petals yellow, about 1.5 cm. long : capsules 

 subglobose, 7-8 mm. in diameter, glabrous : seeds about 2 mm. long. 



In pine lands, Florida. 



2. Piiiqueta glabreseens Small. Slender, glabrous to the inflorescence. Stems erect 

 or ascending, often sparingly branched, 4-6 dm. tall, smooth : leaf-blades narrowly linear, 

 1-5 cm. long, acute or acutish, entire, not prominently nerved beneath, sessile or short- 

 petioled below, mucli reduced above : bracts not foliaceous : pedicels tomentose : calyx 

 turbinate, tomentose; lobes oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acute: petals yellow, spatulate, 

 1-1.5 cm. long; capsules subglobose, about 5 mm. in diameter. [P. ^/«6)o Chapm., not 

 Turnera glabra DC. ] 



In pine lands, peninsular Florida. 



