820 DAPHNACEAE 



1. Grevillea robrlata A Cunn. A tree becoming 20 m. tall: leaf -blades 2-4 dm. 

 long: panicle showy; racemes 1-2 dm. long, many-flowered: calyx-lobes elliptic or 

 oval: follicles recurved, the bodies 1.5-2 cm. long, slender-beaked. 



In waste grounds and about gardens, Florida. Adventive from Australia. Silk Oak. 



Order 24. THYMELEALES. 



Shrubs or trees, or partially hei'baceous plants. Leaves opposite or alter- 

 nate, the blades simple, rarely mere scales, or obsolete. Flowers perfect, polyg- 

 amous or dioecious, regular or nearly so. Calyx of 5 or fewer sepals. Corolla 

 wanting (in our species). Androecium of as many stamens as there are sepals 

 or twice as many. Anthers opening by slits or hinged valves. Gynoecium a 

 single carpel. Ovary superior. Ovule mostly solitary. Fruit usually baccate 

 or drupaceous. 



Anthers opening by slits. 



Ovule and seed pendulous: leaves green, sometimes merely pubescent. Fam. 1. Daphnaceae. 



Ovule and seed erect: leaves silvery-scurfy. Fam. 2. Elaeagnaceae 



Anthers opening by hinged valves. 



Leafy shrubs or trees: fruit seated on the hypanthium. Fam. 3. Lauraceae. 



Leafless, twining, parasitic vines: fruit enclosed in the accrescent 



hypanthium. Fam. 4. Cassythaceae. 



Family 1. DAPHNACEAE J. St. Hill. ]\Iezereon Family. 



Shrubs or trees, or rarely herbs, often pubescent. Leaves opposite or 

 alternate : blades entire. Calyx of 4 or 5 sepals, sometimes with 4 or 5 scales 

 within. Androecium of as many stamens as there are sepals or twice as many. 

 Gynoecium seated in the bottom of the hypanthium. Style usually eccentric. 



1. DIRCA L. 



Shrubs. Leaves alternate. Flowers appearing before the leaves. Sepals usually 

 shorter than the hypanthium. Filaments slender. Ovary 1-celled: style filiform. 

 Drupe slightly elongated. Leather- wood. Moose- wood. 



1. Dirca palilstris L. A shrub 0.5-2 m. tall: leaf -blades oval or obovate. 4-8 

 cm. long: flowers lemon-yellow: hypanthium 7-8 mm. long: sepals very short: drupe 

 oval, 7-9 mm. long, red. 



In woods and along streams, New Brunswick to Minnesota and Florida. Spring. 



Family 2. ELAEAGNACEAE Lindl. Oleastfr Family. 



Shrubs or trees, scaly or stellate-pubescent. Leaf-blades entire. Calyx of 

 4, or rarely of 2, sepals. Androecium of 4 or 8 stamens. Gynoecium closely 

 invested by the hypanthium which is thickened and often ridged within. Style 

 usually axile. 



1. ELAEAGNUS L. 



Shrubs or rarely trees, pubescent with silvery scales. Leaves alternate. Sepals 

 shorter than the hypanthium. Stamens 4: filaments very short or wanting. Ovary 1- 

 celled: style elongated. Drupe somewhat elongated. 



Leaf-blades beneath, and hypanthium, not brown-scaly: sepals less than J^ as 



long as the prolonged portion of the hypanthium. 1. E. umbeUatus. 



Leaf-blades beneath, and hypanthium, brown-scaly: sepals over H as long as 



the prolonged portion of tiie hypanthium. 2. E. multiflorus. 



1. Elaeagnus umbellitus Thunb. A shrub, 1-3 m. tall. Leaves numerous; 

 blades oblong to elliptic, 2-4 cm. long, mainly obtuse, green above, silvery beneath, 

 short-petioled: flowers few, in umbel-like clusters, short-pedicelled: hypanthium nar- 

 rowly funnelform, 4-6 mm. long during anthesis: sepals ovate, 2.5-3 mm. long, silvery 



