Genus 2. 



OLEASTER FAMILY. 



577 



2. Lepargyraea argentea ( Xutt. ) Greene. Buffalo-berry. Rabbit-berry. 



Fig. 2997. 



Elaeagnus argciUca Nutt. Eraser's Cat. 1813. 



Hipfopl'ci-' argentea Pursh. Fl. .\m. Sept. 1:5. 

 1814. 



Sheflierdia argentea Nutt. Gen. 2: 241. 1818. 



L. argentea Greene, Pittonia 2: 122, 1890. 



A shrub, 4-iS high, the twigs often 

 terminating in thorns. Leaves oblong, or 

 sometimes oblong-lanceolate, 1-2' long, 

 rarely more than 4' wide, obtuse at the 

 apex, usually cuneate-narrowed at the 

 base, densely silvery-scurfy on both sides ; 

 petioles 2"-6" long; flowers fascicled at 

 the nodes, the globose buds very silvery ; 

 fruit oval, or ovoid, scarlet, sour, 2"-3" 

 long, edible. 



Minnesota to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, 

 Kansas and Nevada. April-May. Called also 

 beef-suet tree, silver leaf. Wild oleaster- or 

 olive-tree. Bull-berry. Fruit ripe July-Aug. 



Family 96. LYTHRACEAE LindL Xat. Syst, Ed. 2, 100. 1836. 



Loosestrife Family. 

 Herbs, shrubs, or often trees in tropical regions, mostly with opposite leaves 

 and solitary or clustered mostly axillary perfect flowers. Stipules usually none. 

 Calyx persistent, free from the ovary, but generally enclosing it, the limb toothed 

 and often with accessory teeth in the sinuses. Petals as many as the primary 

 calyx-teeth or none, inserted on the calyx. Disk annular or none. Stamens 

 various, inserted on the calyx. Anthers versatile, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 

 sessile or stipitate, 2-6-celled or sometimes i-celled; style i; stigma capitate or 

 2-lobed ; ovules oc , rarely few, anatropous. Capsule i-several-celled, variously 

 dehiscent or sometimes indehiscent. Seeds without endosperm ; cotyledons flat, 

 often auricled at the base. 



About 21 genera and 400 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in tropical 

 America. 



Calyx-tube campanulate or hemispheric : flowers regular. 

 Flowers small, axillary, solitary or few ; low herbs. 



Petals 4 in our species ; capsule bursting irregularly. i. Ammannia. 



Petals none ; capsule indehiscent. 2. Didiphs. 



Petals 4 ; capsule septicidally dehiscent. 3. Rotala. 



Flowers large, in axillary cymes ; large aquatic shrub. 4. Decodon. 



Calyx-tube cylindric : flowers regular. 5' Lythrum. 



Calyx-tube tubular, oblique ; flowers irregular. 6. Parsonsia. 



I. AMMANNIA [Houst] L. Sp. PL 119. 1753- 

 Annual glabrous or glalirate herbs, mostly with 4-angled steins, opposite sessile narrow 

 leaves, and small axillary solitary or cymose flowers. Calyx campanulate, globose or ovoid, 

 4-angled, 4-toothed, often with small appendages in the sinuses. Petals 4 in our species, 

 deciduous. Stamens 4-8, inserted on the calyx-tube, filaments slender or short. Ovary 

 enclosed in the calyx-tube, nearly globular, 2-4-celled, bursting irregularly, [Named for 

 Johann Ammann, 1699-1741, a German botanist.] 



About 20 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in warm regions. Besides the 

 following, another occurs in the Southern States. Type species: Ammannia latifdlia L. 



Flowers sessile or very nearly so, solitary, or 2-3 together. 



Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate; style elongated. i. A. coeeinea. 



Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, obtuse ; style very short, 2. A. Kochnei. 



Flowers pedicelled, in axillary cymes, 3. 4- auriculata. 



37 



